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Updated: Oct 6, 2025
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The Resident-intruder Paradigm: A Standardized Test for Aggression, Violence and Social Stress
Published on: July 4, 2013
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Power in Aggressor-Victim Relationships: Exploring Social, Physical, Gender- and Ethnicity-Based Power
Naomi C Z Andrews1, Laura D Hanish2, Carol Lynn Martin2
1Department of Child and Youth Studies, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, Canada. nandrews@brocku.ca.
Journal of Youth and Adolescence
|January 20, 2022
Summary
Aggressors are not always more powerful than their victims. This study found more balanced power in aggressor-victim relationships, challenging common theories and offering new insights into peer dynamics.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Developmental Psychology
Background:
- Theoretical frameworks often assume aggressors hold more power in aggressor-victim relationships.
- Empirical research on the balance of power within these dyads is limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore power balance versus imbalance in aggressor-victim dyads.
- To assess different types of power: social, physical, gender, and ethnicity-based.
Main Methods:
- Analyzed 4662 aggressor-victim dyads from 952 students (grades 6-8).
- Calculated social power using network centrality and prestige from friendship nominations.
- Assessed physical, gender, and ethnicity-based power via self-report.
Main Results:
- More power-balanced dyads were observed than imbalanced ones across all power indicators.
- This balance was particularly evident in strong (reputation-based) and sustained (longevity-based) dyads.
Conclusions:
- Findings challenge the assumption that aggressors consistently possess greater power.
- Results have significant implications for understanding and intervening in aggressor-victim dynamics.
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