The Effects Of Aggressive Behavior On Peer Relationships In Middle Childhood

During middle childhood, aggressive behavior and peer relationships both are important goals of social development. A great deal of western research has demonstrated that aggressive behavior and peer rejected are related. However, the effects of aggressive behavior on peer relationships are still unclear. What's more, few home researchers has paied attention on the effects of aggressive behavior on peer relationships. Consequently, it is not only possible but also necessary to investigate the effects of aggressive behavior on peer relationships of Chinese children in middle childhood.Sociometric nomination, sociometric rating and questionnaire method were applied in this survey. 552 children in an elementary school, from the third grade to the sixth grade, completed peer nomination, peer rating and two scales, the Revised Class Play and Friendship Quality Questionnaire in June 2002 and so did 580 children in the same school and grades in June 2003. Cross-section design and longitudinal design were employed to explore the effects of aggressive behavior on peer relationships.The findings indicate that:1.Boys' overt aggressive behavior scores are higher than girls', but there is no significantly difference between boys' and girls' relational aggressive behaviorscores.2.Significant negative correlation is found between overt aggressive behavior and positive nomination, social preference peer rating, while significant positive correlation is found between overt aggressive behavior and negative nomination, social impact. Significant negative correlation is found between relational aggressive behavior and social preference, peer rating, while significant positive correlation is found between relational aggressive behavior and negative nomination, social impact.3.The correlation between overt aggressive behavior and negative nomination, social preference, social impact, peer rating of boys is higher than that of girls. The correlation between relational aggressive behavior and negative nomination, social preference, social impact, peer rating of boys is higher than that of girls too.4.There are significant interactive effects for the level of aggressive behavior and gender on negative nomination, social preference, social impact, peer rating.5.Among high aggressive children, the negative nomination scores and social impact scores of dyadic aggressive children are higher than those of relational aggressive children, but the social preference score of dyadic aggressive children are lower than that of relational aggressive children.6.Among high aggressive children, the proportions of overt aggressive boys and dyadic aggressive boys are higher than those of girls, but the proportions of relational aggressive girls is higher than that of boys.7.There is on significant difference between the proportion of popular children among aggressive children and the proportion of popular children among all children.8.In the longitudinal design, when the stability of aggressive behaviors is evaluated, the findings indicate that: when children has decreased their overt aggressive behaviors during one year, they would have less negative nomination score and social impact score; when children has decreased their relational aggressive behaviors during one year, they would have less negative nomination score and social impact score but more social preference score and peer rating score; when children has increased their relational aggressive behaviors during one year, they would have more negative nomination score and social impact score but more social preference score and peer rating score.