Popular and Nonpopular Subtypes of Physically Aggressive Preadolescents: Continuity of Aggression and Peer Mechanisms During the Transition to Middle School

Using peer nominations of physical aggression and perceived popularity in the spring semester of fifth grade, we identified 54 popular aggressive and 42 nonpopular aggressive preadolescents in a diverse sample of 318 participants recruited from an urban school district. Physical aggression in the spring semester of sixth grade was included to determine the developmental continuity of aggression in these two subtypes. The popular aggressive subtype showed higher levels of aggression at sixth grade than did the nonpopular subtype. Popularity during the transition to middle school mediated the subtype differences in sixth-grade physical aggression, whereas affiliation with aggressive peers at fifth grade did not mediate the subtype differences. For the nonpopular aggressive subtype, affiliation with popular-aggressive peers helped maintain high levels of physical aggression in sixth grade. These results suggest that future prevention and intervention efforts should give special attention to different subtypes of aggressive youth and the peer social dynamics associated with high social status.