Typologies of Spanish Youth with School Refusal Behavior and Their Relationship with Aggression

Abstract

School refusal behavior is a serious problem that has significant consequences for the personal, academic, and social adjustment of young people. Although school attendance problems have been associated with physical violence, aggression or cyberbullying, there is a lack of studies that have analyzed the relationship between this problematic behavior and aggressiveness based on the Buss – Perry Aggression model. This work has two main goals: first, to identify school refusal behavior profiles based on the functional model of this variable; and, secondly, to analyze possible differences in four major aggression dimensions based on the Buss – Perry aggression questionnaire (Physical Aggression, Verbal Aggression, Anger, and Hostility) depending on the profiles identified. Participants were 1,509 Spanish adolescents (60.6% male) aged 12–18 years (M = 14.81; SD = 1.85). The School Refusal Assessment Scale-Revised (SRAS-R) and the Aggression Questionnaire (AQ) were administered. Four school refusal behavior profiles (Non-School Refusal Behavior, Low School Refusal Behavior, Mixed School Refusal Behavior, and High Mixed School Refusal Behavior) were identified using Latent Profile Analysis, and differential functioning of those profiles across the dimensions of aggression was found. The Mixed School Refusal Behavior and High Mixed School Refusal Behavior groups showed the highest mean scores in the dimensions of aggression. These findings highlight that the identification of different profiles and risk factors regarding school refusal behavior may be relevant for early intervention. Findings are discussed in relation to the importance of reducing the risk of violent and aggressive behaviors to prevent school attendance problems in adolescents and younger ages.