Relational and Overt Aggression in Youth: Same Aggressive Tendency, Different Manifestations?

The goal of this research was to determine whether relational aggression in girls was similar to overt aggression in boys in terms of social-psychological adjustment. A total of 199 fifth through ninth grade children (86 boys, 113 girls) participated in this study. Relational and overt aggression scores were used to form groups of children who varied on the two types of aggression. Results indicated that overtly aggressive boys did not differ from relationally aggressive girls in terms of depression, anxiety, psychopathy, sensation seeking, ADHD, delinquency, and drug use. Further, boys in the aggressive groups scored consistently higher than boys in the nonaggressive groups on all indices of maladjustment. The results of the current study provide support for the hypothesis that relational aggression in girls is not different from overt aggression in boys in terms of social-psychological adjustment problems.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.S.

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Psychology

Year

2003

Author dc:creator

• Marsee, Monica

Contributors dc:contributor

• Silverthorn, Persephanie
• Morris, Amanda
• Frick, Paul

• gender differences
• overt aggression
• relational aggression

Repository record dc:identifier

https://scholarworks.uno.edu/td/33

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarworks.uno.edu:td-1032