Levels and growth of specific and general norms for nonviolence among middle school students

This study examined the levels and growth of specific and general normative beliefs about nonviolence (called norms for nonviolence). The sample consisted of 1254 middle school students from four metropolitan areas who participated in the control condition of the Multisite Violence Prevention Project. We predicted that the association and endorsement of specific and general norms for nonviolence would strengthen over time, levels and growth of norms for nonviolence would be moderated by gender and ethnicity, and norms for nonviolence would be related to youths’ behaviors. Linear mixed models found that levels and direction of growth in specific and general norms varied as a function of gender, age, and ethnicity, providing partial support for our hypotheses. Specific and general norms for nonviolence were also consistently positively related to students’ social skills and negatively related to students’ aggressive behavior. Implications for understanding adolescent development are discussed.