Bidirectional pathways between relational aggression and temperament from late childhood to adolescence

•High Negative Emotionality and low Effortful Control predicted increases in victimization.•Low Effortful Control predicted increases in perpetration.•Victims increased in Negative Emotionality and decreased in Effortful Control.•Perpetrators increased in Negative Emotionality and Surgency.

Relational aggression is linked to numerous adverse consequences. However, we know little about how temperament leads individuals to become perpetrators/victims of relational aggression, or how being a perpetrator/victim influences the development of temperament. We used longitudinal data from 674 Mexican-origin youth to examine relations between relational aggression and mother- and child-reported temperament from 5th grade (Mage = 10.8; SD = 0.60) through 11th grade (Mage = 16.8; SD = 0.50). Results show that: (a) high Negative Emotionality and low Effortful Control predicted increases in victimization; (b) low Effortful Control predicted increases in perpetration; (c) victims increased in Negative Emotionality and decreased in Effortful Control; and (d) perpetrators increased in Negative Emotionality and Surgency. Thus, temperament serves as both an antecedent to and a consequence of relational aggression.