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‘It’s a girl thing!’ Do boys engage in relational aggression? Exploration of whether strategies to educate young people about relational aggression are relevant for boys

2013; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 31; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/02643944.2013.774042

1468-0122

Deborah James, Maria Lawlor, Niamh Murphy, Ann Marie Flynn,

Child Development and Digital Technology

Relational aggression is often perceived as a female issue. Less is known about relational aggression in adolescent boys. This study examines whether the issues associated with relational aggression in girls are similar for boys to determine whether an intervention designed for girls would be relevant for boys. Focus group discussions illustrate that boys engage in relational aggression and that it appears to be lined to maintaining power and status amongst their friendship groups. After the intervention the boys reported having a greater understanding of relational aggression, in particular the effects of exclusion. They reported that conflict resolution and managing anger were difficult for them to do. They admitted that some of the techniques might be useful, but were less sure about whether they would use them. They expressed a desire to explore anger management in more detail. It seemed the lessons were more suitable for the older boys as they had the developmental and intellectual capacity to engage with the topic. Implications and limitations of this study are discussed.