“Sugar and Spice But Not Always Nice”: Gender Socialization and its Impact on Development and Maintenance of Aggression in Adolescent Girls

Abstract

Aggression in girls is a problem that is gaining increased attention. The indirect forms of relational aggression historically used by girls to harm their victims are increasingly escalating into physical altercations. An understanding of the interplay between the developmental and contextual factors that contribute to learned aggression in girls is needed to inform program development that truly responds to the unique gender socialization of girls. This article examines parental, environmental, and peer factors for their contributions to the development of girlsÕ aggression. Implications for program development that teaches girls and their families alternative ways of expressing their needs and protecting themselves from harm is discussed.

Peer Victimization Among Urban, Predominantly African American Youth: Coping With Relational Aggression Between Friends

“…This perception seems contrary to previous studies where relational aggression is perceived to occur more frequently between girls than among boys (e.g., Letendre, 2007;Underwood, 2003;cf. Card et al, 2008).…”

“…Experiencing and witnessing relational aggression at school is associated with higher levels of self-reported aggressive behaviors (Boxer, Edwards-Lepper, Goldstein, Musher-Eisenman, & Dubow, 2004), and predictive of perceptions of an unsafe school, poor school social climate, and low school affiliation (Goldstein, Young, & Boyd, 2008;Hill & Werner, 2006). Historically, scholars maintained that girls experienced more relational aggression than boys (e.g., Crick & Grotpeter, 1995;Letendre, 2007;Remillard & Lamb, 2005), which led many researchers to focus their studies on females. The proliferation of the image of relationally aggressive girls in the popular media and in the professional literature has perhaps falsely contributed to the perception that only girls are mean and vindictive toward each other, and that boys do not experience and/or display relationally aggressive behaviors (Chesney-Lind, Morash, & Irwin, 2007;Gonick, 2004;Ringrose, 2006;Underwood, 2007).…”

Analyzing The Risk Factors Predicting The Cyberbullying Status of Secondary School Students

“…Erkeklerin sosyalleşme çabalarında amaca yönelik ve özerk davranışlar gösterme ön plandayken, kızların ise kendini pozitif anlamda teşvik edecek şekilde empatik bağlantı kuracak davranışlar gösterme eğilimindedirler. Kızların ve erkeklerin gerçek yaşamlarındaki ilişkilerdeki bu vurgu saldırgan davranışların gösterilmesine aracılık etmektedir (Letendre, 2007).…”

“…Bundan dolayı kızlar kızgınlıklarını, öfkelerini ve hayal kırıklıklarını farklı bir şekilde yönetmeleri gerekmektedir. Bunu da sanal ortamdaki ilişkilerinde dolaylı olarak yansıtmaktadırlar (Letendre, 2007). Siber zorbalığın hem ilişkisel (söylenti çıkarma gibi, akranlarını dışlama) hem de doğrudan zorbalık (tehdit etme, lakap takma gibi, zarar verme) unsurlarını içermesine bağlı olarak sanal ortamda kızların ilişkisel zorbalık erkeklerin de doğrudan zorbalık davranışlarda bulunabilecekleri söylenebilir (Wade ve Beran, 2011).…”

Supporting Adolescent Daughters as They Come of Age: Latina Mothers’ Reflections and Recommendations

“…Mothers may continue to exert more control over their daughters who are yearning for greater autonomy (Romo et al 2014). This struggle for independence can even contribute to escalating aggression in girls, including aggression between daughters and mothers (Chesney-Lind 2004;Chesney-Lind and Brown 1999;Letendre 2007). It seems essential to encourage open dialog amongst mothers and also between mothers and daughters, so that they can co-create her coming of age with mutual intention and understanding.…”