The Influence of Aggressors’ Characteristics on Teachers’ Responses to Physical and Relational Aggression

Abstract

In the present study, middle school teachers responded to written vignettes describing physical and relational aggressive incidents. The aggressors were male or female children committing an aggressive act against same-sex peers, who were also described as good or bad. Among the results, teachers rated female physical aggression as more serious and deserving of more severe punishment than male physical and relational aggression. Bad students’ aggression was rated as more serious and warranting more severe punishment than was good students’ aggression. However, teachers also rated good students’ physically aggressive behavior as more serious and warranting more severe forms of punishment than their relationally aggressive behavior. Results are discussed in relation to previous findings on teachers’ responses to students’ aggression.