Relational benefits of relational aggression: Adaptive and maladaptive associations with adolescent friendship quality.

Abstract

Two longitudinal studies examined associations between relational aggression and friendship quality during adolescence. In Study 1, 62 adolescents in Grades 6 (25.8%), 7 (32.3%), and 8 (41.9%) completed assessments of friendship affiliations, relational and overt aggression, and friendship quality at 2 time points, 1 year apart. Results using actor partner interdependence modeling indicated that high levels of relational aggression predicted increases in self-reported positive friendship quality 1 year later. In Study 2, 56 adolescents in Grades 9 (66.7%) and 10 (33.3%) attended a laboratory session with a friend in which their conversations were videotaped and coded for relationally aggressive talk. Target adolescents completed measures of positive and negative friendship quality during the laboratory session and during a follow-up phone call 6 months later. Analyses revealed that high levels of relationally aggressive talk at Time 1 predicted increases in negative friendship quality 6 months later. In addition, among adolescents involved in a reciprocal best friendship, high levels of observed relationally aggressive talk predicted increases in positive friendship quality over time. Taken together, these studies provide support for the idea that relational aggression may be associated with adaptive as well as maladaptive outcomes within the dyadic context of adolescent friendship.

Wer hat Freundschaften und wer verliert sie? – Notwendige sozial-emotionale Kompetenzen im frühen Jugendalter

“…konfliktreichere Freundschaften (Cillessen et al, 2005;Rose et al, 2004). Anzunehmen ist, dass relational aggressive Freundespaare dazu neigen, Klatsch und Tratsch zu verbreiten und auch nicht davor zurückschrecken, bösartige Gerüchte über andere zu streuen (Banny, Heilbron, Ames, Prinstein, 2011). Bezieht sich das "Lästern" auf den Freund oder die Freundin, dann wirkt es besonders zerstörerisch, weil es das Vertrauen in die Vertraulichkeit von Mitteilungen untergräbt (Asher et al, 1996), das die Grundlage intimer Freundschaften bildet (Youniss u. Smollar, 1985).…”

Relational Aggression among Female African American Undergraduates: An Intersectional Perspective

“…While there are some indications that popular adolescents may not fare well in an adult world due to increased participation in risky behaviors, and persistent use of antisocial behaviors (Sandstrom & Cillessen, 2010), some adolescents have used relationally aggressive behaviors to increase popularity and social capital (Banny et al, 2011). Therefore, it may be unlikely that individuals would change previously successful behavior patterns but instead would continue to use relational aggression in emergent adulthood.…”

“…There are those who argue that relationally aggressive behaviors are not always negative experiences for adolescents within friendships, and that youth may be using gossip and rumor-spreading as a tool to strengthen their position and their relationships (Banny et al, 2011;Feinberg, Willer, Stellar, & Keltner, 2012). Also, many adult aggressors do not appear to receive any negative consequences for their behaviors (Beauboeuf-Lafontant, 2009;Dellasega, 2005).…”

“…However, some of these same researchers argue that while alienating third parties, relationally aggressive behavior against an outsider strengthens friendship between aggressors (Banny et al, 2011;Grotpeter & Crick, 1996). Similarly, others argue that a major component of relationally aggressive behavior, gossip, may not always be negative, and can strengthen social bonds (Feinberg et al, 2012).…”

“…Relationally aggressive children have been found to experience different, but equally negative outcomes such as: depression, loneliness, and isolation (Crick & Grotpeter, 1995). Additionally, while relational aggression within a dyadic friendship may be damaging, individuals who are aggressing together against a third party together may have stronger friendships due to a heightened level of intimacy between friends (Banny, Heilbron, Ames, & Prinstein, 2011;Grotpeter & Crick, 1996).…”