Adolescent aggression and problem-solning

The aim of this research is to analyse the relationship between the aggression levels of secondary school students and their problem solving skills based on the following variables: gender, school types, grade levels, income level of family as well as educational background of parents.The data obtained were analysed using SPSS 11.5 program. In order to collect the data of the study, a total of 542 students (217 females and 325 males) was administered several data collection tools. These data collection tools employed in the study are ?demografic information form?, ?the scale of aggression? and ?problem solving inventory?. In the analysis of the data t-test was employed in order order to see whether or not aggression scores vary based on gender. ANOVA was employed in order to investigate any potential interaction between agression scores and school types, grade levels, income level of family as well as educational background of parents. The results of ANOVA indicate that the economic status of families causes variation in aggression scores of the subjects. In order to analyse the source of this variance, the Tukey test was used. Correaltion values between total aggression and problem solving scores of the subjects and their scores on the subscales of the data collection tools (impatient attitude, deliberative attitude, avoidant attitude, evaluative attitude, self-confident attitude and planned attitude). Maximum error limit in the analyses was accepted to be .05.The following findings are found in the study:1) Gender of the participants leads to variation in their aggression levels. In other words, male students? levels of aggression levels are found to be significantly different in contrast to those of female students. More specifically, the aggression levels of male students are much higher than those of female students.2) School types appear to have no effect on the subjects? aggression levels, leading to significant variation.3) Grade levels are found to have no effect on the subjects? aggression levels, leading to significant variation.4) Families? income levels are found to have significant effects on the subjects? aggression levels, leading to significant variation. This significant variation is observed between those students from the families with higher income levels and those from the families with medium income levels. On the other hand, the aggression levels of the subjects from the families with higher income levels are found to be much higher.5) Maternal educational background is found to have no impact on the subjects? levels of aggression. It may indicate the fact that educational background of mothers has no significant effects on their control of their children?s aggressive behaviour.6) It is found that there is no statistically significant correlation between educational background of fathers and the subjects? levels of aggression.7) It is found that there is a negative significant relationship between the subjects? levels of aggression and their problem solving skills. In other words, if the subjects have higher levels of problem solving skills, then their aggression levels appear to be lower.