Socioeconomic Status and Adolescent Aggression: The Role of Executive Functioning as a Mediator

The primary focus of the present study was to determine the direct and indirect relations between socioeconomic status (SES), executive functioning (EF), and adolescent aggression. The test sample included 512 adolescents (girls = 255, boys = 257) of secondary and higher secondary grade within the age range of 13-19 years. Participants completed measures of SES and aggression in group settings, followed by the individual administration of tests of EF Findings provided support for the meditational effect of executive skills in the relation between SES and aggression. Specifically, results showed that SES is positively and directly related to EF and indirectly related to aggression through EE Implications of the study along with limitations and suggestions for future research are discussed.