The main argument presented by the authors is that while it seems logical to study the physical, cognitive, and social characteristics of children who engage in aggression, as well as the characteristics of children who are the victims of aggression, it is also useful to understand that aggressors and victims are involved in a relationship that should be examined in its own right. Until recently, most efforts at understanding children’s aggression focused on the characteristics of the aggressor. More contemporary research has widened the scope of analysis to include the victims of aggression. The authors argue that the focus on aggressors and victims is not broad enough to gain a complete understanding of the complexities underlying aggression in children. The authors begin by defining reactive and proactive aggression before moving on to an explanation of the various types of aggression and their functions. A conceptual framework for understanding children’s aggression in a social context is outlined, which helps to place children’s aggression within a physical environment driven by sociocultural values, beliefs, and institutions. The authors show how aggression takes place within individual relationships and within peer groups as they make their argument for an integrated conceptualization of aggression that distinguishes among forms and functions of aggression and takes into account the context within which aggression occurs. References