Relational Aggression

Girls’ Relational Aggression in New Zealand Secondary School Classrooms

Relational Aggression

Intent

Crick and Grotpeter (1995)

Relational Aggression

Relational Aggression

Spreading rumours

Bumping into someone on

purpose

Alliance-building

Socially isolating

Hostile body language (rolling eyes, smirking)

Ignoring, excluding

Making fun of another's

appearance

Cyber bullying

Secret-divulging

Attacks on sexual reputation

The Silent Treatment

Relational Aggression

Why?

Teachers have a direct impact on their classes

Kuppens, Grietens, Onghena, Michiels, & Subramanian (2008)Jennings and Greenberg (2009)

Relational Aggression

What is going on?

Relational Aggression

Aggressor/ Leader

Bystander/s

Bystander/s/Followers

Victim/wannabe

Victim

Adler and Adler (1995)Crick and Grotpeter (1995)

Wiseman(2002)

Relational Aggression

THREE KEY THEORIES OF THE CURRENT THESIS

1. Socio-cultural theory/Social Dominance

Theory

Adler and Adler (1995)Wiseman (2002)

Pronk and Zimmer-Gembeck (2010)

Relational Aggression

“Sugar and Spice

But Not Always Nice”

Letendre (2007)

1. Socio-cultural theory/Social Dominance Theory

2. Developmental TheoryCrothers (2007)

Yoon (2004)Crick and Grotpeter (1995)

3. Social Cognitive Theory

Bandura (2002)Goldstein and Tisak, 2004)

Relational Aggression

And who is this girl?

Relational Aggressor Scale

CovertPopularHigh statusQueen BeeHighly feminine

Gang GirlMore overtLess “feminine”Outside of mainstream culture

Socially competentNo empathy

Status in group

Relational Aggression

Queen Bee

Low self-esteem/Low confidence

Relational Aggression

What are the differences in teacher perceptions of relational

aggression in the classroom compared to student

perceptions?

Girls will be girls...

No point in telling anyone...

Is she going to do anything?

Not in my classroom...

Relational Aggression

What actions taken by teachers effectively address

relational aggression in the classroom?

?

Relational Aggression

What actions taken by teachers effectively address

relational aggression in the classroom?

And students agree with?

Relational Aggression

Method

Survey Interview Analyse data

Relational Aggression

Method

Te Aroha and Joanne were good friends and had been in the same netball team for two years at school. On her way into class, Te Aroha bumped into Joanne who was...................Te Aroha spread a rumour that Joanne had cheated on her......

How ok?How aggressive?How hurtful?How upset?How distressed?

Basow, Cahill, Phelan, Longshore, & McGillicuddy-DeLisi (2007)

Relational Aggression

Results: Vignettes

Relational aggression was more “distressing” than physical aggression.

Relational aggression was more “ok” than physical aggression

Results: Vignettes

Year 9 students were more tolerant of the physical aggression vignettesthan the Year 10 students

Physical aggression vignettes were perceived by Year 9’s to be less “aggressive” and less “hurtful” than Year 10’s perceive.

Relational Aggression

Results: Self and Others

Questionnaire

There were significant differences between students attributing acts of relational aggression to others, in comparison to themselves.

Relational Aggression

Results: Self and Others

Questionnaire

96.5% Self Over 99% Others

How many girls are affected overall?

Results: Interviews

In class: texting, passing messages, calling out, whispering, spreading rumours (mostly attacks on sexual reputation), blocking others out of group-work, pushing, throwing things, giving looks, laughing with friend at another.

Text bullying perceived differently by students and teachers.

Girls felt safe against cyber bullying at school.

Results: Interviews

Students don’t think teachers see much of it, but when they do, want teachers to do something about it, Teachers agree!

Restorative Justice/Chat beneficial

Good relationships a key, teachers sometimes need to recognise that they are stand-in parents

Extra vigilance required to support victim and halt behaviours of aggressor can help to break down cycle.

Relational Aggression

The Last Word

"The two women exchanged the kind of

glance women use when no knife is handy." Ellery

Queen

Boys will be boys. And even that wouldn't matter if only we could prevent girls from being girls. 

Anne Frank