CORE
🇺🇦
make metadata, not war
Services
Services overview
Explore all CORE services
Access to raw data
API
Dataset
FastSync
Content discovery
Recommender
Discovery
OAI identifiers
OAI Resolver
Managing content
Dashboard
Bespoke contracts
Consultancy services
Support us
Support us
Membership
Sponsorship
Community governance
Advisory Board
Board of supporters
Research network
About
About us
Our mission
Team
Blog
FAQs
Contact us
"In the eye of the beholder...": Girls', boys' and teachers' perceptions of boys' aggression to girls
Authors
Larry Owens
Rosalyn Shute
Phillip Slee
Publication date
1 January 2005
Publisher
Shannon Research Press
Abstract
Because children and young teenagers usually associate in same-sex groups, psychological research concerned with adolescent aggression has often concentrated on within-sex relationships. However, during adolescence, boys and girls increasingly interact socially. This paper reports a study of boy-to-girl aggression as perceived by girls, boys and their teachers. Focus group discussions were conducted with groups of Grade 9 adolescents (aged between 14 and 15 years) across four middle class schools in metropolitan Adelaide, South Australia, and individual interviews were conducted with their teachers. Thematic analyses revealed different understandings by girls, boys and teachers of the same behaviour. Girls and teachers reported that boys frequently use verbally offensive language including sexual harassment toward girls but boys argued that they were often not being malicious but rather just joking and that girls over-reacted. Girls, boys and teachers agreed that boys often harassed girls in order to impress other boys and for their own entertainment or fun. Teachers also emphasised home and cultural background factors in influencing boys' behaviour toward girls. All three groups agreed that boys' behaviour toward girls could have devastating effects on the girl victims. Girls' appearance was reported as a major contributing factor associated with boys' victimisation such that, while physical attractiveness could protect a girl from boys' meanness, over-weight girls or those seen as being unattractive or 'uncool' were vulnerable. However, girls were not seen universally as passive victims. Girls, boys and teachers reported that many girls responded assertively and even matched boys' aggression. Girls and boys agreed that teacher intervention was often not helpful. In contrast, teachers reported the effectiveness of school anti-harassment policies and a range of successful interventions. This study highlights the importance of understanding behaviour from different perspectives and confirms research that emphasises the crucial role of the peer group in influencing aggressive interactions among students in schools. © 2005 Shannon Research Press.C
Similar works
Full text
Open in the Core reader
Download PDF
Available Versions
Federation ResearchOnline
See this paper in CORE
Go to the repository landing page
Download from data provider
vital:678
Last time updated on 09/07/2019