ABSTRACT
This study uses latent profile analysis (LPA) to examine how family functioning profiles relate to high school students’ aggressive behaviour, with peer relationship problems and self-control as mediators and gender as a moderator. Drawing on data from a sample of 1192 adolescents (Mage = 16.68, SDage = 0.66; 52.9% males), the analyses were conducted using LPA and the Hayes PROCESS macro (Models 4 and 59). LPA revealed four distinct family functioning profiles: low family functioning profile (23.7%), moderate family functioning profile (46.3%), high family functioning profile (20.5%) and low family functioning–high problem-solving profile (9.4%). Notably, negative family functioning was significantly associated with higher levels of aggressive behaviour. Mediation analysis showed that peer relationship problems and self-control mediated the relationship between family functioning and aggressive behaviour in the moderate and high family functioning profiles. Moderation analysis further revealed that males were more vulnerable to aggression resulting from peer problems, with self-control offering stronger protection than in females. Gender also significantly moderated the indirect paths from the moderate and low family functioning–high problem-solving groups to aggression through peer problems, significant only in males. These findings highlight the distinct impacts of different family functioning profiles on adolescent aggression, offering new insights and empirical support for family-based interventions and adolescent behaviour programmes.