Elucidating the relevance of dissociation and emotion dysregulation for aggression in forensic and community samples
Garofalo,Carlo Velotti,Patrizia Zavattini,Giulio Cesare
Garofalo,Carlo
Velotti,Patrizia
Zavattini,Giulio Cesare
Abstract
Purpose: To clarify the relevance of emotion dysregulation and dissociation for aggressive tendencies, the present study examined bivariate, unique, mediating, and moderating effects of each on physical aggression, verbal aggression, anger, and hostility. Methods: Self-report measures of the key constructs were administered to a sample of male adult violent offenders (N = 389) and a sample of male adult community participants (N = 324), and analyzed with correlation and multiple regression analyses. Results: The pattern of bivariate correlations was substantially similar for emotion dysregulation and dissociation. Both exerted unique and indirect effects (through one another) on physical aggression, anger, and hostility in both samples, with varying effect sizes. The only significant interaction was reported in the offender sample, with dissociation buffering the emotion dysregulation-hostility link. In multivariate models, verbal aggression was predicted only by dissociation and only in the community sample. Conclusions: Emotion dysregulation and dissociation have unique relevance for understanding, and potentially treating, aggression beyond and through their reciprocal overlap, with the exception of verbal aggression for which the evidence was sample-dependent and less compelling. While both had comparable relevance for physical aggression, emotion dysregulation seemed more relevant for anger, and their relative relevance for hostility varied across samples.
Description
Date
2022
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Journal Issue
Keywords
ANGER, Anger, BEHAVIOR, DIFFICULTIES, Dissociative experiences, Emotion regulation, Hostility, OFFENDERS, Prison, RELIABILITY, TEMPERAMENT, VALIDITY, Violence, SDG 16 - Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
Citation
Garofalo, C, Velotti, P & Zavattini, G C 2022, 'Elucidating the relevance of dissociation and emotion dysregulation for aggression in forensic and community samples', Journal of Criminal Justice, vol. 82, 102006. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2022.102006
License
info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess