This study used network analysis to compare teacher- and child-reported symptom networks of proactive and reactive aggression in 295 elementary school students, identifying structural differences and key symptom targets ('key players') for intervention.
Both networks showed a two-community structure (proactive vs. reactive), but differed significantly in structure, edge, and global strength invariance. With one key player selected, both networks flagged a reactive symptom; with two selected, the teacher network identified one proactive + one reactive symptom, while the child network identified two proactive symptoms.
Only publisher page text was available — full methods, measures, and demographic details could not be verified. The sample was limited to elementary-age students, restricting generalizability to older youth. Cross-informant discrepancies may also reflect differences in context (classroom vs. peer settings) rather than true symptom differences.
Teachers and children identify different aggression symptoms as most central, so using both informants matters when selecting intervention targets. Reactive aggression symptoms — especially hostile attribution bias — appear as key nodes in both networks and may be high-yield targets for school-based intervention.
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