Perceived Containment among Elementary School Age Youth

There is preliminary research indicating that perceived containment, or one’s perception that adults can control one’s behavior, is associated with aggression and other problem behavior. However, more research is needed to understand the construct of perceived containment. To this end, the current study sought to assess the following aims in a sample of middle childhood-age youth: 1) Evaluate the stability of perceived containment over a 6-month period, 2) Examine whether perceived containment is associated with proactive and reactive aggression and disciplinary actions within as well as across time, and 3) Evaluate sex differences in these associations. Youth self-reports of perceived containment, teacher reports of proactive and reactive aggression, and school records of disciplinary actions at time 1 (Spring 2017) and 6 months later (Fall 2017) were collected. Findings indicated that perceived containment is stable over a 6-month period and is associated with problem behavior, most robustly disciplinary actions, but findings were not consistent across time points. At time 1, high levels of perceived containment were associated with decreased risk for disciplinary actions for girls, but not boys; no other sex differences were evident. Implications for findings and future directions are discussed.