Girls, aggression, and emotion regulation.

Area of Science:

• Developmental Psychology
• Clinical Psychology
• Gender Studies

Background:

• Traditional research indicates boys exhibit higher aggression than girls.
• Emotion regulation difficulties correlate with problematic behaviors.
• Existing research on aggression often overlooks relational aggression and its link to emotion regulation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the importance of including relational aggression in gender difference studies.
• To emphasize the need to investigate emotion regulation in relationally aggressive children.
• To propose future research directions for understanding mental health in girls.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on aggression and emotion regulation.
• Analysis of gender differences in aggression, including relational aggression.
• Identification of research gaps concerning emotion regulation and relational aggression.

Main Results:

• Gender disparities in aggression decrease when relational aggression is accounted for.
• Limited research exists on the emotion regulation of relationally aggressive children.
• Relational aggression involves harming social relationships through rumors, gossip, and peer rejection.

Conclusions:

• Relational aggression is a crucial area for understanding gender differences in aggressive behaviors.
• Investigating emotion regulation in relationally aggressive children is vital.
• Future research on emotion regulation and relational aggression can inform the etiology and prevention of mental health problems in girls.