Teens who value power are more likely to engage in school violence, including hitting and threatening others. Teens who value conformity or universalism are less likely to engage in such behaviors, according to a study published in Child Development.
For purposes of the study, "power" meant "trying to attain social status by controlling and dominating others," conformity meant "limiting actions and urges that might violate social expectations and norms," and universalism was "promoting, understanding, appreciation, tolerance and protecting the welfare of all people and nature."
Researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem studied the attitudes and behaviors of 907 students in grades 10 through 12 in order to test their hypothesis that a teen's values predict behaviors. Their research indicated that values come not only from the home and parents, but also from peer groups and the culture of the teen's school.
Labels: aggression, violence, values
Posted By: Staff Writer
