Aggression Among Indian College Students: Examining the Influence of Frustration Reactions and Family Conflict

Abstract

Aggressive behaviour among college students has increasingly attracted attention due to its impact on interpersonal relationships, emotional well-being, and campus adjustment. The present study investigates the role of frustration reactions and family conflict in predicting aggression among Indian college students. Guided by the frustration–aggression hypothesis and the General Aggression Model, the study adopts a quantitative cross-sectional research design. Data were collected from 200 college students aged 18–28 years using standardized instruments: the Frustration Discomfort Scale (FDS), Brief Family Relationship Scale (BFRS), and Brief Aggression Questionnaire (BAQ). Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and regression techniques were used to examine the relationships among the variables. The findings revealed that frustration reactions were significantly and positively associated with aggressive behaviour. Family conflict also showed a positive relationship with aggression and contributed significantly to the prediction of aggressive tendencies. Together, frustration reactions and family conflict accounted for a meaningful proportion of variance in aggression, highlighting the combined influence of emotional and familial factors in shaping aggressive behaviour among Indian college students.