Sex Differences in Children's Aggression

Abstract

In 27 preschoolers observed social activity was significantly and positively correlated with physical, verbal, direct, and indirect aggression in girls (physical and direct aggression, 2A.05; verbal and indirect aggression, EL .01), but negatively correlated with all but verbal aggression in boys (all g's .01) . Boys had high physical aggression scores more frequently than girls .003); girls showed more verbal than physical aggression (2.< .01). Direct predominated over indireCt aggression in both sexes (both est.01). Sex differences in relationships of social activity to aggressions were attributed to differences in physical aggression, which was hypothesized to discourage interactions. Murphy's (1937) study demonstrated a relationship between social interaction and aggression in preschoOlers but failed to find sex a relevant variable; though sex differences in aggression have been occasionally reported elsewhere in the literature, there have been few attempts to clarify them. Comparing verbal and physical modes of aggression, Durrett (1959) found girls more verbally aggressive than boys. In Feshbach'i (1969) study, adolescent TImmq girls were more indirectly aggressi4e than boys, suggesting the importance of a yawl style dimension. However, none of these studies included dominance or non,compliance under the rubric of aggression. This omission seems to be important since these.forms of aggression are more culturally acceptable in females than are the more explicit aggressions. The present study investigated whether sex differences in frequency of aggressing among preschool children are related to differences in rates of social interaction, and whether girls manifest aggression in different ways than boys do. InclUded was consideration of differences in