Types of aggression and their relationship to sociometric status in preadolescent girls

Recent studies of female aggression indicate girls may be equally as aggressive as boys, but female aggression may manifest in more covert behavior than that typical of male aggression. This covert aggressive behavior, social aggression, has the effect of undermining a person's standing within their peer group and includes behaviors such as malicious gossip and social ostracism. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between three types of aggressive behavior (physical, verbal, and social aggression) and sociometric status among 225 fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-grade girls using peer nominations and teacher ratings. Aggressive behavior was also correlated with the consequences that girls attached to aggression as assessed by a modified version of the Importance of Perceived Consequences of Aggression questionnaire.;Results provided evidence for the reliability and validity of the peer nomination instrument developed for this study to assess social behaviors. Results indicated that controversial and rejected status girls (classifications indicative of impaired peer relationships; Coie et al., 1990) were nominated as the most aggressive of the status groups, and were nominated as being highly aggressive on all three types of aggression. Rejected status girls were significantly more often the victims of social aggression than other status girls. Three consequences of aggression were negatively but weakly related to aggression in correlational analyses; these outcomes involved victim suffering, fear of retaliation, and negative self-evaluation. Results suggest that these negative consequences of aggression may not serve to inhibit the behavior of aggressive girls. Overall the results of this study highlight the need to study aggression in ways appropriate to the structure and concerns of female peer groups.;Participants were classified into one of five social status groups (popular, average, controversial, rejected, or neglected) using positive and negative peer nominations. Prosocial behaviors, aggression, victimization by peers, and the importance of perceived consequences of aggression were also assessed.