Relaciones entre tendencias de juicio moral, estilos de resolución de conflictos y percepción de la manifestación de la agresividad en niños y adolescentes

The moral judgment was approached upon a constructivist perspective which focuses on its evolution according to the different types of social relations. The several forms of resolution of conflicts are also considered in this reference, since they are related to situations of interaction, as well as the aggressiveness. The research was carried out with sixty children and teenagers from a socio-educational institution. It aimed to identify the variations according to age, and relate the trends in moral judgment, the styles of resolution of conflicts, and the perception of the educators regarding to the manifestation of aggressive behaviors. The instruments for collecting data were the Scale of Perception from Teachers for children that manifested Aggressive Behaviors in School, a Clinical Interview about moral judgment and the adaptation of the Children\'s Action Tendency Scale - CATS. The results showed that variations in relation to age were significant regarding to moral judgment. The younger children showed more heteronomous judgments and the older children more autonomous. Furthermore, the data evidenced a positive relationship between semiautonomia and aggressiveness, which raises the possibility of this being regarded as one of the unique strategies to take a position within an authoritarian and coercive environment.

Epidemiological aspects of dog bites considering biter dogs and victims

The aim of this study was to characterize dog bites using data on biter dogs and victims. An exploratory cross-sectional study was performed using 203 records of individuals who had attended in public health services in 2009 in the municipality of Araçatuba, São Paulo, Brazil, after they had been bitten by a dog. Over 70% (92/129) of the biter dogs were male and most of them (71%) received as a gift. Dog owners reported companionship as the main reason for acquiring the dog. The victims who were children were predominantly male, while the victims who were elderly were predominantly female. Most children were bitten on the head/neck, while adults were bitten on the hands/feet and lower limbs (p<0.0001). The owner of the dog was known in 83.2% of cases. However, rabies observation of the biter dog following the attack was only reported in 59.4% of cases. Situations involving aggression were related to dogs having escaped from their home (18.7%) or roaming free on the streets (17.0%). The analysis of biting dog characteristics using information obtained from dog bite victims and biting dog owners can help direct the medical treatment for dog bite victims. Moreover, concepts of responsible dog ownership can reduce the occurrence of bites.