Is indirect aggression typical of females? gender differences in aggressiveness in 11- to 12-year-old children

TLDR

The study examined gender differences in aggression among 167 11‑ to 12‑year‑old children using peer ratings, self‑ratings, and interviews, and also analyzed the social structure of their peer groups. Girls displayed more indirect aggression and tighter peer groups, which may explain their lower peer‑vs‑self aggression correlation and less stable aggression, whereas boys favored direct aggression.

Abstract

Gender differences regarding aggressive behaviour were investigated in 167 school children, 11 to 12 years of age, through peer-rating techniques supported by self-ratings and interviews. The social structure of the peer groups also was studied. The principal finding was that girls made greater use of indirect means of aggression, whereas the boys tended to employ direct means. Gender differences in verbal aggression were less pronounced. The social structure of peer groups was found to be tighter among girls, making it easier for them to exploit relationships and harm their victims by indirect manipulative aggression. Because indirect aggression has rarely been satisfactorily studied with tests of aggression, this finding may help to explain 1) the generally lower correlation found between peer-rated and self-rated aggression in girls than among boys (indirect means not being so readily recognized by the subject as a kind of aggression) and 2) the low stability of aggressiveness in girls often found in developmental studies.