Biomaterial Database

Sex differences in the aggressive behaviour of schoolchildren. 1981

J Archer, and K Westeman

An observational study was carried out to investigate whether sex differences in aggression, found in pre-school children in free-play situations, would also be found at older ages in the classroom. Equal numbers of boys and girls, aged 6 and 11 years, were observed individually in their school classrooms for eight 5 min periods, carried out over several weeks. At 11 years of age, boys showed more physical aggression than girls, a finding which resulted from a few boys showing higher scores than the remaining boys and the girls; girls showed more verbal aggression. These sex differences were not found at 6 years of age. At both ages, there was a higher proportion of same-sex than opposite-sex encounters. These results are discussed in terms of the generality of sex differences in aggression, the possibility of a sex difference in the form of aggressive acts, and the sex of the recipient of aggression.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007062	Identification, Psychological	A process by which an individual unconsciously endeavors to pattern himself after another. This process is also important in the development of the personality, particularly the superego or conscience, which is modeled largely on the behavior of adult significant others.	Identification (Psychology),Identification, Psychology,Identifications (Psychology),Identifications, Psychological,Identifications, Psychology,Psychological Identification,Psychological Identifications,Psychology Identification,Psychology Identifications
D008297	Male		Males
D002648	Child	A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL.	Children
D005260	Female		Females
D005783	Gender Identity	A person's concept of self as being male and masculine or female and feminine, or ambivalent, based in part on physical characteristics, parental responses, and psychological and social pressures. It is the internal experience of gender role.	Gender,Gender Identities,Identity, Gender
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000367	Age Factors	Age as a constituent element or influence contributing to the production of a result. It may be applicable to the cause or the effect of a circumstance. It is used with human or animal concepts but should be differentiated from AGING, a physiological process, and TIME FACTORS which refers only to the passage of time.	Age Reporting,Age Factor,Factor, Age,Factors, Age
D000374	Aggression	Behavior which may be manifested by destructive and attacking action which is verbal or physical, by covert attitudes of hostility or by obstructionism.	Aggressions
D014705	Verbal Behavior	Includes both producing and responding to words, either written or spoken.	Behavior, Verbal,Behaviors, Verbal,Verbal Behaviors