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Age and Gender Differences in Adolescents' Reactions to Conflict Situations: Aggression, Prosociality, and Withdrawal

NCJ Number
168514
Journal
Journal of Youth and Adolescence Volume: 26 Issue: 3 Dated: June 1997 Pages: 339-351
Author(s)
M Lindeman; T Harakka; L Keltikangas-Jarvinen
Date Published
1997
Length
13 pages
Annotation
This study examined how aggression, prosociality, and withdrawal, as reactions to interpersonal conflict situations, manifest themselves in preadolescence, mid-adolescence, and late adolescence (n=2,594).
Abstract
The subjects completed a questionnaire that described two prevalent conflict situations, accompanied by a set of problemsolving strategies. The entire cohorts of 11-, 14-, and 17-year-old pupils, chosen by grade, from five mid- sized cities in Western Finland were included in the study. Subjects were tested by a psychologist anonymously in groups that ranged in size from 10 to 60. The findings show that aggression develops curvilinearily and that both prosociality and withdrawal decrease with age. In addition, both direct and indirect aggression, as well as withdrawal, were found to be more typical among boys than among girls; whereas, in late adolescence, prosociality was more typical among girls. The most often-used strategy in preadolescence was prosociality and in mid-adolescence, aggression. In late adolescence, girls used prosocial and withdrawal strategies most often; whereas, the most often-used strategy by boys was aggression. 1 table, 1 figure, and 34 references

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