Children's perceptions of playfighting, playchasing and real fighting: a cross‐national interview study

Abstract

Playfighting and chasing can he distinguished from real fighting, hut their significance in children's development remains uncertain. This study examines playfighting and chasing from the child's, rather than the observer's, perspective, using a questionnaire given to 8 and 11 year olds in England and South Italy and 5 year olds in England. Findings were generally similar for English and Italian children. Most hoys and girls reported both liking, and taking part in, playchasing; liking and participation in playfighting was more divided, though more so for boys, with many children disliking the perceived risk of injury in playfighting. About half the children (more boys than girls) reported having been in a serious fight, often provoked by verbal abuse or accidental injury. Most children reported that they could tell playfighting from a serious fight; at 5 years, liking and taking part in playfights was a predictor of this ability, which approached ceiling by 8 and 10 years. A wide variety of cues were given which could distinguish playful and serious fighting. Findings were consistent with the practice hypothesis for playfighting. However, most children also thought that playfighting could lead to a serious fight, especially as a result of accidental injury; escalation of this kind was also thought to be more likely if the play partner was not a best friend. Both ‘honest mistakes’ and ‘cheating’ seem to be possible explanations for playfighting leading to serious fighting. Assertion or maintenance of dominance may be a function for cheating in playfighting.

Physical Activity Play: The Nature and Function of a Neglected Aspect of Play

“…Similarly, children's R & T occurs in symmetrical groups, or with children of similar dominance status, and many children say they can determine their own as well as peers' strength from these encounters (Smith, Hunter, Carvalho, & Costabile, 1992). R & T tends to occur between friends (Humphreys & Smith, 1987;Smith & Lewis, 1985) and in groups of three to four children (Pellegrini, 1993); these findings indicate that it is a safe and relatively visible venue to test and exhibit physical strength.…”

Physical Activity Play: The Nature and Function of a Neglected Aspect of Play

“…Similarly, children's R & T occurs in symmetrical groups, or with children of similar dominance status, and many children say they can determine their own as well as peers' strength from these encounters (Smith, Hunter, Carvalho, & Costabile, 1992). R & T tends to occur between friends (Humphreys & Smith, 1987;Smith & Lewis, 1985) and in groups of three to four children (Pellegrini, 1993); these findings indicate that it is a safe and relatively visible venue to test and exhibit physical strength.…”

Trends and demographic characteristics of physical fighting and fighting-related injuries among Canadian youth, 1993–2010

“…"Play fighting" or "rough-and-tumble play" is a common behaviour among younger people and these behaviours decrease as students approach adulthood. 20 Concurrently, adolescents also undergo physiological changes such as increased muscle mass and hormonal changes during puberty. The elevated strength in older adolescents may intensify the physical force exerted in fights, which can increase the likelihood of injury.…”