A Study of the Relationship between Family Functioning and Student's Aggression

The present study was carried out to investigate the impact of family functioning on aggressive behavior among Kermanshahi high school students. In this research, various psychological and sociological perspectives, such as Bandura, Goode, and Hurlock theories were reviewed for the purpose of explaining aggression. In addition, McMaster Model (Family Assessment Device) was used as the theoretical framework. This research is a correlational survey. The statistical population of the study comprised all male and female ninth, tenth, and eleventh graders in Kermanshah. For the purpose of sampling, Cochran’s formula was used and 357 individuals were selected through multi-stage cluster sampling. The instrumentation consisted of McMaster standard questionnaire and Buss-Perry aggression questionnaire which were utilized for assessing family functioning and aggressive behavior, respectively. Results of the study revealed that family functioning and its three dimensions, i.e., fulfilling family roles, problem solving, and affective responsiveness, were negatively correlated with aggressive behavior. Among family functioning dimensions, problem solving had the highest negative correlation with aggression. Furthermore, results of multiple regression analysis showed that problem solving in students’ families (β = -0.737), affective responsiveness in the family (β = -0.692), and fulfilling family roles (β = 0.069) had the greatest effect on the dependent variable of aggressive behavior.