Mediating effect of self-esteem on the relationship between leisure experience and aggression

Previous research has shown that both the daily experiences and personal traits of adolescents are linked to aggression. Our aim was to further investigate the relationship between leisure experience, self-esteem, and aggression according to the general aggression model. In addition, within frustration-aggression theory, we proposed that leisure experience and aggression have a negative correlation. Furthermore, based on broaden-and-build theory, we explored the mediating role of self-esteem between leisure experience and aggression. The participants included 660 Chinese teenagers with an average age of 14.3. Among them, male students accounted for 310 (49.4%) and female students accounted for 318 (50.6%). The results showed that leisure experience was positively correlated with self-esteem and negatively correlated with aggression, while self-esteem was also negatively correlated with aggression. Additionally, self-esteem fully mediated the relationship between leisure experience and aggression. Our study could enrich research on leisure and provide a basis for protective factors of aggression in adolescents.