The current study provides evidence for the role of emotion dysregulation as a mechanism linking stress exposure to increases in aggressive behavior in adolescence. Exposure to peer victimization and stressful life events were each associated with increases in emotion dysregulation over time, and these elevations in emotion dysregulation accounted for the relationship between stress exposure and subsequent increases in aggressive behavior. This pathway was observed in both males and females. These results suggest that preventative interventions targeting adolescents exposed to peer aggression and chronic stress should incorporate techniques to improve emotional awareness, identification, monitoring, and the adaptive expression and modulation of emotional experiences.
