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No Room for Fighting

NCJ Number
114554
Journal
School Safety Dated: (Fall 1988) Pages: 28-29
Author(s)
J C Bennett
Date Published
1988
Length
2 pages
Annotation
Throughout history, educational theorists and practitioners have often held opposing views about whether children should be allowed to engage in physical aggression.
Abstract
At the turn of the century, it was held that children, especially boys, should be permitted to purge their aggression by fighting in their play. Several decades later, teachers came to disapprove of bullying and cruelty between their pupils. In two 1940's studies teachers were found not to intervene in a majority of pupil conflicts. During the 1970's and 1980's there has been a shift to disapproval of aggression among children. In a recent survey, 137 current and prospective teachers in New Mexico were asked if they would permit fighting among pupils on the elementary playground between varying combinations of physically matched and unmatched boys and girls. Almost all respondents were not permissive in their attitudes toward pupil physical aggression at school, regardless of sex and physical status of the children involved. Both male and female respondents over age 25 were most permissive and least consistent in their attitudes toward fighting. Respondents were slightly more likely to allow fighting in situations where participants were evenly matched physically. Males under age 25 were more likely than females to feel that fighting was important for boys, but not for girls. A sizeable percentage also felt that participating in aggressive sports has a cathartic value for children. 11 endnotes.

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