Student Perceptions of Aggressive Behaviors and Predictive Patterns of Perpetration and Victimization: The Role of Age and Sex

Abstract

This study investigated a rural sample of boys' and girls' (N = 205) perceptions of what behaviors constitute bullying and examined whether being a victim of aggression was predictive of perpetrating physical and relational aggression. Results indicated that predictors of perpetrating relational aggression included victimization of relational aggression, student age, and perpetration of physical aggression. Predictors of physical aggression included perpetration of relational aggression and being a victim of physical aggression. A mixed model MANOVA indicated that students were more likely to perceive physical aggression as bullying and younger students found both physical and relational aggression more hurtful than older students. Results suggest the behaviors students perceive as bullying vary with age and gender and demonstrate the relationship between victimization and perpetration of physical and relational aggression.

KEYWORDS:

• bullying
• physical aggression
• relational aggression
• age differences

Study findings were presented as a paper at the annual meeting of the American Society of Criminology (ASC), St. Louis, Missouri, November 2008.