Perceptions of Relational and Physical Aggression among College Students: Effects of Gender of Perpetrator, Target, and Perceiver

Abstract

This study examined gendered perceptions of relational and physical aggressive behaviors and personal experiences with both types of aggression. Prior research suggested that physical aggression by males and relational aggression by females would be perceived most negatively. College students (186 female, 128 male) rated the acceptability and harmfulness of aggression in scenarios in which type of aggression and perpetrator and target gender were varied. As predicted, relational aggression by female characters and physical aggression by male characters were rated as less acceptable and more aggressive/harmful than the same behavior by the other gender. Thus, expectations regarding the gender‐appropriateness of aggression appear to affect perceptions of such acts. Despite popular conceptions that females use and are harmed by relational aggression more than males, there was no gender difference in experience with relational aggression, nor were female targets viewed as more harmed by such aggression than their male counterparts.

How does social exclusion lead to emerging adult relational aggression? Potential Mechanisms of Action of Relative Deprivation and Hostile Attribution Bias

“…Additionally, it is interesting to note that relational aggression did not show signi cant gender differences in the present study, a result that is consistent with previous ndings with young adults (Bailey & Ostrov, 2008;Basow et al, 2007;Burton et al, 2007;Loudiu et al, 2003) and with some of the ideas that coincide with some views that relational aggression does not appear to be related to gender but rather to individual development and aging (Card, Stucky, Sawalani & Little, 2008;Lansford et al, 2012). One study, however, found that while relational aggression was not signi cant in emerging adult gender differences, there were signi cant differences in subtypes of relational aggression; speci cally, females tended to engage in romantic relational aggression more than males, while males tended to engage in peer-oriented active and passive relational aggression more than females (Murray-Close et al, 2010).…”

How does social exclusion lead to emerging adult relational aggression? Potential Mechanisms of Action of Relative Deprivation and Hostile Attribution Bias

“…Additionally, it is interesting to note that relational aggression did not show signi cant gender differences in the present study, a result that is consistent with previous ndings with young adults (Bailey & Ostrov, 2008;Basow et al, 2007;Burton et al, 2007;Loudiu et al, 2003) and with some of the ideas that coincide with some views that relational aggression does not appear to be related to gender but rather to individual development and aging (Card, Stucky, Sawalani & Little, 2008;Lansford et al, 2012). One study, however, found that while relational aggression was not signi cant in emerging adult gender differences, there were signi cant differences in subtypes of relational aggression; speci cally, females tended to engage in romantic relational aggression more than males, while males tended to engage in peer-oriented active and passive relational aggression more than females (Murray-Close et al, 2010).…”

Proactive, reactive, and romantic relational aggression in adulthood: Measurement, predictive validity, gender differences, and association with Intermittent Explosive Disorder

“…Consistent with hypotheses, men and women did not differ in their overall use of relational aggression. These findings are consistent with previous research with young adults (Bailey & Ostrov, 2008; Basow et al, 2007; Burton et al, 2007; Loudin, Loukis, & Robinson, 2003) and suggest that as males and females increasingly interact in adolescence and adulthood, males may learn how to effectively employ relationally aggressive strategies from female friends and romantic partners. Interestingly, gender differences in engagement in subtypes of relational aggression were observed.…”

Social perception of intimate partner violence according to the motivations and sex of the aggressor and the ideology and sex of the observers / Percepción social de la violencia de pareja en función de las motivaciones y sexo del/a agresor/a y de la ideología y sexo de los/as observadores/as

“…Regarding the second objective, we first found that women estimated a higher real prevalence of violence and greater seriousness of the violent acts than men, in line with previous studies (Basow et al, 2007; Capezza & Arriaga, 2008; Sylaska & Walters, 2014). This result can be understood in light of Sylaska and Walters’ (2014) application of Merrill’s Social Psychology Theory (1996) to predict the perception of IPV according to gender roles.…”

How does social exclusion lead to emerging adult relational aggression? Potential Mechanisms of Action of Relative Deprivation and Hostile Attribution Bias

“…Additionally, it is interesting to note that relational aggression did not show signi cant gender differences in the present study, a result that is consistent with previous ndings with young adults (Bailey & Ostrov, 2008;Basow et al, 2007;Burton et al, 2007;Loudiu et al, 2003) and with some of the ideas that coincide with some views that relational aggression does not appear to be related to gender but rather to individual development and aging (Card, Stucky, Sawalani & Little, 2008;Lansford et al, 2012). One study, however, found that while relational aggression was not signi cant in emerging adult gender differences, there were signi cant differences in subtypes of relational aggression; speci cally, females tended to engage in romantic relational aggression more than males, while males tended to engage in peer-oriented active and passive relational aggression more than females (Murray-Close et al, 2010).…”

Proactive, reactive, and romantic relational aggression in adulthood: Measurement, predictive validity, gender differences, and association with Intermittent Explosive Disorder

“…Consistent with hypotheses, men and women did not differ in their overall use of relational aggression. These findings are consistent with previous research with young adults (Bailey & Ostrov, 2008; Basow et al, 2007; Burton et al, 2007; Loudin, Loukis, & Robinson, 2003) and suggest that as males and females increasingly interact in adolescence and adulthood, males may learn how to effectively employ relationally aggressive strategies from female friends and romantic partners. Interestingly, gender differences in engagement in subtypes of relational aggression were observed.…”

Social perception of intimate partner violence according to the motivations and sex of the aggressor and the ideology and sex of the observers / Percepción social de la violencia de pareja en función de las motivaciones y sexo del/a agresor/a y de la ideología y sexo de los/as observadores/as

“…Regarding the second objective, we first found that women estimated a higher real prevalence of violence and greater seriousness of the violent acts than men, in line with previous studies (Basow et al, 2007; Capezza & Arriaga, 2008; Sylaska & Walters, 2014). This result can be understood in light of Sylaska and Walters’ (2014) application of Merrill’s Social Psychology Theory (1996) to predict the perception of IPV according to gender roles.…”

How does social exclusion lead to emerging adult relational aggression? Potential Mechanisms of Action of Relative Deprivation and Hostile Attribution Bias

“…Additionally, it is interesting to note that relational aggression did not show signi cant gender differences in the present study, a result that is consistent with previous ndings with young adults (Bailey & Ostrov, 2008;Basow et al, 2007;Burton et al, 2007;Loudiu et al, 2003) and with some of the ideas that coincide with some views that relational aggression does not appear to be related to gender but rather to individual development and aging (Card, Stucky, Sawalani & Little, 2008;Lansford et al, 2012). One study, however, found that while relational aggression was not signi cant in emerging adult gender differences, there were signi cant differences in subtypes of relational aggression; speci cally, females tended to engage in romantic relational aggression more than males, while males tended to engage in peer-oriented active and passive relational aggression more than females (Murray-Close et al, 2010).…”

Proactive, reactive, and romantic relational aggression in adulthood: Measurement, predictive validity, gender differences, and association with Intermittent Explosive Disorder

“…Consistent with hypotheses, men and women did not differ in their overall use of relational aggression. These findings are consistent with previous research with young adults (Bailey & Ostrov, 2008; Basow et al, 2007; Burton et al, 2007; Loudin, Loukis, & Robinson, 2003) and suggest that as males and females increasingly interact in adolescence and adulthood, males may learn how to effectively employ relationally aggressive strategies from female friends and romantic partners. Interestingly, gender differences in engagement in subtypes of relational aggression were observed.…”

Social perception of intimate partner violence according to the motivations and sex of the aggressor and the ideology and sex of the observers / Percepción social de la violencia de pareja en función de las motivaciones y sexo del/a agresor/a y de la ideología y sexo de los/as observadores/as

“…Regarding the second objective, we first found that women estimated a higher real prevalence of violence and greater seriousness of the violent acts than men, in line with previous studies (Basow et al, 2007; Capezza & Arriaga, 2008; Sylaska & Walters, 2014). This result can be understood in light of Sylaska and Walters’ (2014) application of Merrill’s Social Psychology Theory (1996) to predict the perception of IPV according to gender roles.…”