Children's aggression at recess: Examining the relationship between the playground environment, aggressive behavior, and reports of worry

Aggression negatively impacts children's psychological and academic well being. The playground environment is more susceptible to aggressive behavior than more structured academic settings like the classroom. In this study, the relation between staff and student reports of student playground aggression was examined. Then, the relation between environmental playground factors (i.e., playground activities, playground supervisor ratios, active supervision, and playground rules) and student reports of aggression was examined. Finally, the relation of playground aggression to student self-reports of playground worries was evaluated. School Climate Theory provided the conceptual framework for evaluating playground characteristics, student aggression, and worry. Participants included 767 third, fourth, and fifth grade students and 57 playground supervisors from 10 Midwest elementary schools. Participants completed reports of aggression (students and staff), playground worries (students only), and playground environmental factors (staff only). Bivariate correlations were used to examine the relation between staff and student reports of aggression. Hierarchical Linear Modeling analyses were conducted to examine the relation among playground factors, aggression, and playground worries. This study used a novel approach to measuring the predictive relation of aggression on children's worries through student self-report measures. Results of this study showed that staff and students reports of playground aggression were inconsistently correlated. Although overt physical and verbal playground aggression scores were significantly correlated, relational playground aggression and playground conflict were not associated. Additionally, four playground characteristics were linked to playground aggression: cooperative games, supervisor ratios, active monitoring, and playground rules. Finally, when students reported more playground aggression, their reports of playground worry were higher.