Citation

Murray-Close D, Ostrov JM, Crick NR. Dev. Psychopathol. 2007; 19(1): 187-203.

Affiliation

University of Minnesota, USA. murr0139@umn.edu

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, Cambridge University Press)

DOI

10.1017/S0954579407070101

PMID

17241490

Abstract

Trajectories of relational aggression were examined in a large, diverse sample of fourth-grade students. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to examine relational aggression over 1 calendar year. The results indicated that relational aggression increased in a linear fashion for girls over the course of the study. In addition, increases in friend intimate exchange were associated with time-dependent increases in relational aggression among girls only. Relational aggression and internalizing "tracked" together across the course of the study. Overall, the findings suggest relational aggression becomes increasingly common among elementary school girls, and girls' close, dyadic relationships may fuel relationally aggressive behavior in some contexts. Finally, the results indicate that relational aggression trajectories are dynamically associated with maladjustment.

Language: en