Research Article
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Anger and aggression in children aged 6-12 in lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey

Year 2023, , 72 - 79, 31.01.2023

Hilal Kurt Sezer Nilay Bektas Akpınar Merve Askın Ceran Gozdenur Tanrıkulu

https://doi.org/10.5472/marumj.1244642

Abstract

Objective: This study investigated the relationship between parents’ emotional states and the anger and aggression levels of their
children between the ages of 6-12 who were in social isolation during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Turkey.
Materials and Methods: The study adopted a cross-sectional and descriptive design. The sample consisted of 261 parents. Data were
collected online during lockdowns between May and September 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Results: More than half of the participants reported that they were unhappy (53.2%), sad (63.2%), and worried about the future due
to the COVID-19 pandemic (70.8%). Less than a quarter of the participants were angry (17.6%). Children living in districts had
significantly higher verbal aggression scores than those living in city centers (p <0.05). Children with relatives who tested positive for
COVID-19 had significantly higher verbal aggression scores than those without (p <0.05).
Conclusion: Although, preventive measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic prevent the spread of the virus and allow parents
and children to spend time together, they also adversely affect mental health.

Keywords

COVID-19 Pandemic Social isolation Parent-child relationship

References

  • Russell BS, Hutchison M, Tambling R, et al. Initial challenges of caregiving during COVID-19: caregiver burden, mental health, and the parent-child relationship. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 2020; 51:671-82. doi: 10.1007/s10578.020.01037-x.
  • Demirbaş KN, Koçak S. Evaluation of the covıd-19 pandemic period from the perspective of parents with children between the ages of 2-6. EJRSE 2020;7:328-49.
  • Jiao WY, Wang LN, Liu J, et al. Behavioral and emotional disorders in children during the COVID-19 epidemic. J Pediatr 2020; 221:264-6.e1. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2020.03.013
  • Lieberman AF, Chu A, Van Horn P, et al. Trauma in early childhood: empirical evidence and clinical implications. Dev Psychopathol 2011;23:397-410.doi: 10.1017/ S095.457.9411000137.
  • Scheeringa MS, Zeanah CH, Cohen JA. PTDS in children and adolescents: Toward an empirically based algorithm. Depress Anxiety 2011;28:770-82.doi: 10.1002/da.20736.
  • Boelen PA, Spuij M. Symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder in bereaved children and adölescents: Factor structure and correlates. J Abnorm Child Psychol 2013;41:1097-108.doi: 10.1007/s10802.013.9748-6.
  • Dyregrov A. Grief in children: A handbook for adults. 2nd ed. Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2008.
  • Sütcü ST, Aydın A, Sorias O. Effectiveness of a cognitive behavioral group therapy program for reducing anger and aggression in adolescents. J Psychol 2010;25:57-67.
  • Sukhodolsky DG, Smith SD, Mccauley SA, et al. Behavioral ınterventions for anger, ırritability, and aggression in children and adolescents. J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol 2016;26:28-64.doi: 10.1089/cap.2015.0120.
  • Hanratty J, Macdonald G, Livingstone N. Child-focused psychosocial interventions for anger and aggression in children under 12 years of age (Protocol). Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2015;:1-13. doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD011.788.2015;7:1- 13.doi:
  • Loeber R, Burke JD, Pardini DA. Development and etiology of disruptive and delinquent behavior. Annu Rev Clin Psychol 2009;5:291-310.doi: 10.1146/annurev.clinpsy.032.408.153631.
  • Pisano L, Galimi D, Cerniglia L. A qualitative report on exploratory data on the possible emotional / behavioral correlates of Covid-19 lockdown in 4-10 years children in Italy. PsyArXiv 2020. doi: 10.31234/osf.io/stwbn.
  • OECD Policy Responses to Coronavirus (COVID-19). Combatting COVID-19’s effect on children http://www.oecd. org/coronavirus/policy-responses/combatting-covid-19-seffect- on-children-2e1f3b2f/. Accessed: 20 June, 2020
  • Öztürk OM, Uluşahin A. Ruh sağlığı ve bozuklukları. 15. Baskı. Ankara: Nobel Tıp Kitabevi, 2018.
  • Brooks SK, Webster RK, Smith LE, et al. The psychological impact of quarantine and how to reduce it: rapid review of the evidence. Lancet 2020;395(10227):912-20.doi: 10.1016/S0140- 6736(20)30460-8.
  • Kundu B, Bhowmik D. Societal impact of novel corona virus (COVID-19 pandemic) in India. SocArXiv 2020. doi. org/10.31235/osf.io/vm5rz
  • Mazza C, Ricci E, Biondi S, Colasanti M, Ferracuti S, Napoli C, Roma P. A nationwide survey of psychological distress among italian people during the COVID-19 pandemic: Immediate psychological responses and associated factors. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2020;17:1-14.doi: 10.3390/ijerph17093165.
  • Ginsburg GS, Grover RL, LaLongo N. Parenting behaviors among anxious and non-anxious mothers: relation with concurrent and long-term child outcomes. Child Fam Behav Ther 2005;26:23-41.doi: 10.1300/J019v26n04_02.
  • Ghosh R, Dubey MJ, Chatterjee S, et al. Impact of COVID-19 on children: special focus on the psychosocial aspect. Minerva Pediatr 2020;72:226-35.doi: 10.23736/S0026- 4946.20.05887-9.
  • Naderifar M, Goli H, Ghaljaie F. Snowball sampling: A purposeful method of sampling in qualitative research. SDME 2017;14:e67670.doi:10.5812/sdme.67670.
  • Cohen J. The analysis of variance. In Statistical Power Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences (second ed.). New York: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1988:274-87.
  • Halperin JM, McKay KE, Newcorn JH. Development, reliability, and validity of the children’s aggression scaleparent version. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2002; 41(Suppl.3):245-52.doi: 10.1097/00004.583.200203000-00003.
  • Ercan E, Ercan ES, Ardıç ÜA, Uçar S. Children Aggression Scale-Parent Version (CAS-P): Turkish validity and reliability study. Anadolu Psikiyatri Derg 2016; 17(1):77-84.doi: 10.5455/ apd.180426.
  • Leung CC, Lam TH, Cheng KK. Mass Masking in the COVID-19 Epidemic: People Need Guidance. Lancet 2020:945-947.doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(20)30520-1.
  • Usta SY, Gökcan HN. Covid-19 through the eye of children and mothers. International IJSSER 2020;6(2):187-206.do: 10.24289/ijsser.744642.
  • Tapper G, Boultan JM. Sex differences in levels of physical, verbal, and indirect aggression amongst primary school children and their associations with beliefs about aggression. Aggressive Behaviour 2004;30:123-45.doi: 10.12691/ajap-2-2- 3.
  • Stoner SB, Spencer WB. Age and gender differences with the anger expression scale. Educational Psychology Measurement 1987;47:487-92.doi:10.1177/001.316.4487472.
  • Gruber J, Prinstein MJ, Clark LA, et al. Mental health and clinical psychological science in the time of COVID-19: Challenges, opportunities, and a call to action. Am Psychol 2021;76:409-26 .doi: 10.1037/amp0000707.
  • Burney D. An investigation of anger styles in adolescent students. The Negro Educational Review 2006;57:36-48.
  • Kepenkci Y, Cinkir S. Bullying Among Turkish High School Students. Child Abuse Negl 2006;30:193-204.doi: 10.1016/j. chiabu.2005.10.005.
  • Joseph Hw, Symons FJ, Shores RE. A descriptive analysis of aggressive behavior in classrooms for children with emotional and behavioral disorders. Behavioral Disorders 1995;20:87- 105.doi: 10.1177/019.874.2995020002.
  • Dewi K, Prihatsanti U, Setyawan I, Siswati. Children’s aggressive behavior tendency in Central Java Coastal Region: The Role of Parent-Child Interaction, Father’s Affection and media exposure. Environmental Sciences 2015;23:192-98.doi: 10.1016/j.proenv.2015.01.030.
  • Card AN, Stucky BD, Sawalani MG, et al. TD. Direct and indirect aggression during childhood and adolescence: a meta-analytic review of gender differences, intercorrelations, and relations to maladjustment. Child Dev 2008;79:1185-229. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-8624.2008.01184.x.
  • Odgers CL, Moffitt TE, Tach LM, et al. The protective effects of neighbourhood collective efficacy on British children growing up in deprivation: e developmental analysis. Developmental Psychology 2009;:942-57.doi: 10.1037/a0016162.
  • Rudolph KE, Stuart EA, Glass TA, Merikangas KR. Neighborhood disadvantage in context: the influence of urbanicity on the association between neighborhood disadvantage and adolescent emotional disorders. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 2014;49:467-75.doi: 10.1007/ s00127.013.0725-8.
  • Dalton L, Rapa E, Ziebland S, et al. Communication with children and adolescents about the diagnosis of a lifethreatening condition in their parent. Lancet 2019;393:1164- 76.doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(18)33202-1.
  • Frick PJ, White SF. Research review: the importance of callous-unemotional traits for developmental models of aggressive and antisocial behavior. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2008;49:359-75.doi: 10.1111/j.1469-7610.2007.01862.x.
  • Winiarski DA, Engel ML, Karnik NS, Brennan PA. Early life stress and childhood aggression: mediating and moderating effects of child callousness and stress reactivity. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 2018;49:730-39.doi: 10.1007/ s10578.018.0785-9.
  • CSTS.2020. Helping Homebound Children during the COVID-19 Outbreak https://www.cstsonline.org/assets/ media/documents/CSTS_FS_Helping_Homebound_ Children_during_COVID19_Outbreak.pdf Accessed: 28 June 2020
  • Galea S, Merchant RM, Lurie N. The mental health consequences of COVID-19 and physical distancing: the need for prevention and early intervention. JAMA Intern Med 2020;180:817-18. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2020.1562.
  • Danese A, Smith P, Chitsabesan P, Dubicka B. Child and adolescent mental health amidst emergencies and disasters. Br J Psychiatry 2019;216:159-62. doi: 10.1192/bjp.2019.244.
  • Liu S, Yang L, Zhang C, Xiang YT, Liu Z, Hu S et al. Online mental health services in China during the COVID-19 outbreak. Lancet Psychiatry 2020;7:e17-e18.doi: 10.1016/ S2215-0366(20)30077-8.
  • Sprang G, Silman M. Posttraumatic stress disorder in parents and youth after health-related disasters. Disaster Med Public Health Prep 2013;7:105-10.doi: 10.1017/dmp.2013.22.

Year 2023, , 72 - 79, 31.01.2023

Hilal Kurt Sezer Nilay Bektas Akpınar Merve Askın Ceran Gozdenur Tanrıkulu

https://doi.org/10.5472/marumj.1244642

Abstract

Keywords

COVID-19 Pandemic Social isolation Parent-child relationship

References

  • Russell BS, Hutchison M, Tambling R, et al. Initial challenges of caregiving during COVID-19: caregiver burden, mental health, and the parent-child relationship. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 2020; 51:671-82. doi: 10.1007/s10578.020.01037-x.
  • Demirbaş KN, Koçak S. Evaluation of the covıd-19 pandemic period from the perspective of parents with children between the ages of 2-6. EJRSE 2020;7:328-49.
  • Jiao WY, Wang LN, Liu J, et al. Behavioral and emotional disorders in children during the COVID-19 epidemic. J Pediatr 2020; 221:264-6.e1. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2020.03.013
  • Lieberman AF, Chu A, Van Horn P, et al. Trauma in early childhood: empirical evidence and clinical implications. Dev Psychopathol 2011;23:397-410.doi: 10.1017/ S095.457.9411000137.
  • Scheeringa MS, Zeanah CH, Cohen JA. PTDS in children and adolescents: Toward an empirically based algorithm. Depress Anxiety 2011;28:770-82.doi: 10.1002/da.20736.
  • Boelen PA, Spuij M. Symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder in bereaved children and adölescents: Factor structure and correlates. J Abnorm Child Psychol 2013;41:1097-108.doi: 10.1007/s10802.013.9748-6.
  • Dyregrov A. Grief in children: A handbook for adults. 2nd ed. Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2008.
  • Sütcü ST, Aydın A, Sorias O. Effectiveness of a cognitive behavioral group therapy program for reducing anger and aggression in adolescents. J Psychol 2010;25:57-67.
  • Sukhodolsky DG, Smith SD, Mccauley SA, et al. Behavioral ınterventions for anger, ırritability, and aggression in children and adolescents. J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol 2016;26:28-64.doi: 10.1089/cap.2015.0120.
  • Hanratty J, Macdonald G, Livingstone N. Child-focused psychosocial interventions for anger and aggression in children under 12 years of age (Protocol). Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2015;:1-13. doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD011.788.2015;7:1- 13.doi:
  • Loeber R, Burke JD, Pardini DA. Development and etiology of disruptive and delinquent behavior. Annu Rev Clin Psychol 2009;5:291-310.doi: 10.1146/annurev.clinpsy.032.408.153631.
  • Pisano L, Galimi D, Cerniglia L. A qualitative report on exploratory data on the possible emotional / behavioral correlates of Covid-19 lockdown in 4-10 years children in Italy. PsyArXiv 2020. doi: 10.31234/osf.io/stwbn.
  • OECD Policy Responses to Coronavirus (COVID-19). Combatting COVID-19’s effect on children http://www.oecd. org/coronavirus/policy-responses/combatting-covid-19-seffect- on-children-2e1f3b2f/. Accessed: 20 June, 2020
  • Öztürk OM, Uluşahin A. Ruh sağlığı ve bozuklukları. 15. Baskı. Ankara: Nobel Tıp Kitabevi, 2018.
  • Brooks SK, Webster RK, Smith LE, et al. The psychological impact of quarantine and how to reduce it: rapid review of the evidence. Lancet 2020;395(10227):912-20.doi: 10.1016/S0140- 6736(20)30460-8.
  • Kundu B, Bhowmik D. Societal impact of novel corona virus (COVID-19 pandemic) in India. SocArXiv 2020. doi. org/10.31235/osf.io/vm5rz
  • Mazza C, Ricci E, Biondi S, Colasanti M, Ferracuti S, Napoli C, Roma P. A nationwide survey of psychological distress among italian people during the COVID-19 pandemic: Immediate psychological responses and associated factors. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2020;17:1-14.doi: 10.3390/ijerph17093165.
  • Ginsburg GS, Grover RL, LaLongo N. Parenting behaviors among anxious and non-anxious mothers: relation with concurrent and long-term child outcomes. Child Fam Behav Ther 2005;26:23-41.doi: 10.1300/J019v26n04_02.
  • Ghosh R, Dubey MJ, Chatterjee S, et al. Impact of COVID-19 on children: special focus on the psychosocial aspect. Minerva Pediatr 2020;72:226-35.doi: 10.23736/S0026- 4946.20.05887-9.
  • Naderifar M, Goli H, Ghaljaie F. Snowball sampling: A purposeful method of sampling in qualitative research. SDME 2017;14:e67670.doi:10.5812/sdme.67670.
  • Cohen J. The analysis of variance. In Statistical Power Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences (second ed.). New York: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1988:274-87.
  • Halperin JM, McKay KE, Newcorn JH. Development, reliability, and validity of the children’s aggression scaleparent version. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2002; 41(Suppl.3):245-52.doi: 10.1097/00004.583.200203000-00003.
  • Ercan E, Ercan ES, Ardıç ÜA, Uçar S. Children Aggression Scale-Parent Version (CAS-P): Turkish validity and reliability study. Anadolu Psikiyatri Derg 2016; 17(1):77-84.doi: 10.5455/ apd.180426.
  • Leung CC, Lam TH, Cheng KK. Mass Masking in the COVID-19 Epidemic: People Need Guidance. Lancet 2020:945-947.doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(20)30520-1.
  • Usta SY, Gökcan HN. Covid-19 through the eye of children and mothers. International IJSSER 2020;6(2):187-206.do: 10.24289/ijsser.744642.
  • Tapper G, Boultan JM. Sex differences in levels of physical, verbal, and indirect aggression amongst primary school children and their associations with beliefs about aggression. Aggressive Behaviour 2004;30:123-45.doi: 10.12691/ajap-2-2- 3.
  • Stoner SB, Spencer WB. Age and gender differences with the anger expression scale. Educational Psychology Measurement 1987;47:487-92.doi:10.1177/001.316.4487472.
  • Gruber J, Prinstein MJ, Clark LA, et al. Mental health and clinical psychological science in the time of COVID-19: Challenges, opportunities, and a call to action. Am Psychol 2021;76:409-26 .doi: 10.1037/amp0000707.
  • Burney D. An investigation of anger styles in adolescent students. The Negro Educational Review 2006;57:36-48.
  • Kepenkci Y, Cinkir S. Bullying Among Turkish High School Students. Child Abuse Negl 2006;30:193-204.doi: 10.1016/j. chiabu.2005.10.005.
  • Joseph Hw, Symons FJ, Shores RE. A descriptive analysis of aggressive behavior in classrooms for children with emotional and behavioral disorders. Behavioral Disorders 1995;20:87- 105.doi: 10.1177/019.874.2995020002.
  • Dewi K, Prihatsanti U, Setyawan I, Siswati. Children’s aggressive behavior tendency in Central Java Coastal Region: The Role of Parent-Child Interaction, Father’s Affection and media exposure. Environmental Sciences 2015;23:192-98.doi: 10.1016/j.proenv.2015.01.030.
  • Card AN, Stucky BD, Sawalani MG, et al. TD. Direct and indirect aggression during childhood and adolescence: a meta-analytic review of gender differences, intercorrelations, and relations to maladjustment. Child Dev 2008;79:1185-229. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-8624.2008.01184.x.
  • Odgers CL, Moffitt TE, Tach LM, et al. The protective effects of neighbourhood collective efficacy on British children growing up in deprivation: e developmental analysis. Developmental Psychology 2009;:942-57.doi: 10.1037/a0016162.
  • Rudolph KE, Stuart EA, Glass TA, Merikangas KR. Neighborhood disadvantage in context: the influence of urbanicity on the association between neighborhood disadvantage and adolescent emotional disorders. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 2014;49:467-75.doi: 10.1007/ s00127.013.0725-8.
  • Dalton L, Rapa E, Ziebland S, et al. Communication with children and adolescents about the diagnosis of a lifethreatening condition in their parent. Lancet 2019;393:1164- 76.doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(18)33202-1.
  • Frick PJ, White SF. Research review: the importance of callous-unemotional traits for developmental models of aggressive and antisocial behavior. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2008;49:359-75.doi: 10.1111/j.1469-7610.2007.01862.x.
  • Winiarski DA, Engel ML, Karnik NS, Brennan PA. Early life stress and childhood aggression: mediating and moderating effects of child callousness and stress reactivity. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 2018;49:730-39.doi: 10.1007/ s10578.018.0785-9.
  • CSTS.2020. Helping Homebound Children during the COVID-19 Outbreak https://www.cstsonline.org/assets/ media/documents/CSTS_FS_Helping_Homebound_ Children_during_COVID19_Outbreak.pdf Accessed: 28 June 2020
  • Galea S, Merchant RM, Lurie N. The mental health consequences of COVID-19 and physical distancing: the need for prevention and early intervention. JAMA Intern Med 2020;180:817-18. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2020.1562.
  • Danese A, Smith P, Chitsabesan P, Dubicka B. Child and adolescent mental health amidst emergencies and disasters. Br J Psychiatry 2019;216:159-62. doi: 10.1192/bjp.2019.244.
  • Liu S, Yang L, Zhang C, Xiang YT, Liu Z, Hu S et al. Online mental health services in China during the COVID-19 outbreak. Lancet Psychiatry 2020;7:e17-e18.doi: 10.1016/ S2215-0366(20)30077-8.
  • Sprang G, Silman M. Posttraumatic stress disorder in parents and youth after health-related disasters. Disaster Med Public Health Prep 2013;7:105-10.doi: 10.1017/dmp.2013.22.
There are 43 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects Clinical Sciences
Journal Section Original Research
Authors

Hilal Kurt Sezer This is me 0000-0001-8365-0655

Nilay Bektas Akpınar This is me 0000-0003-4142-6457

Merve Askın Ceran This is me 0000-0002-2296-2572

Gozdenur Tanrıkulu This is me 0000-0001-9110-8612

Publication Date January 31, 2023
Published in Issue Year 2023

Cite

APA Kurt Sezer, H., Bektas Akpınar, N., Askın Ceran, M., Tanrıkulu, G. (2023). Anger and aggression in children aged 6-12 in lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey. Marmara Medical Journal, 36(1), 72-79. https://doi.org/10.5472/marumj.1244642
AMA Kurt Sezer H, Bektas Akpınar N, Askın Ceran M, Tanrıkulu G. Anger and aggression in children aged 6-12 in lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey. Marmara Med J. January 2023;36(1):72-79. doi:10.5472/marumj.1244642
Chicago Kurt Sezer, Hilal, Nilay Bektas Akpınar, Merve Askın Ceran, and Gozdenur Tanrıkulu. “Anger and Aggression in Children Aged 6-12 in Lockdowns During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Turkey”. Marmara Medical Journal 36, no. 1 (January 2023): 72-79. https://doi.org/10.5472/marumj.1244642.
EndNote Kurt Sezer H, Bektas Akpınar N, Askın Ceran M, Tanrıkulu G (January 1, 2023) Anger and aggression in children aged 6-12 in lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey. Marmara Medical Journal 36 1 72–79.
IEEE H. Kurt Sezer, N. Bektas Akpınar, M. Askın Ceran, and G. Tanrıkulu, “Anger and aggression in children aged 6-12 in lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey”, Marmara Med J, vol. 36, no. 1, pp. 72–79, 2023, doi: 10.5472/marumj.1244642.
ISNAD Kurt Sezer, Hilal et al. “Anger and Aggression in Children Aged 6-12 in Lockdowns During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Turkey”. Marmara Medical Journal 36/1 (January 2023), 72-79. https://doi.org/10.5472/marumj.1244642.
JAMA Kurt Sezer H, Bektas Akpınar N, Askın Ceran M, Tanrıkulu G. Anger and aggression in children aged 6-12 in lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey. Marmara Med J. 2023;36:72–79.
MLA Kurt Sezer, Hilal et al. “Anger and Aggression in Children Aged 6-12 in Lockdowns During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Turkey”. Marmara Medical Journal, vol. 36, no. 1, 2023, pp. 72-79, doi:10.5472/marumj.1244642.
Vancouver Kurt Sezer H, Bektas Akpınar N, Askın Ceran M, Tanrıkulu G. Anger and aggression in children aged 6-12 in lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey. Marmara Med J. 2023;36(1):72-9.