Relationship Aggression

Using relationship bonds to lower another’s social status or heighten your own.

What's the worse thing a kid has done at school?

What were the consequences?

Males and females can express aggression with peers in a competitive sense.

Typically, males express this physically.

Typically, females express this emotionally.

Physical aggression is easier to identify, and treat.

Emotional aggression is:

• Harder to detect
• Can be subtle
• Can have much longer term consequences.
• Think of it as an emotional slap.

Tools

• Exclusion
• Silent treatment
• Gossip
• Conditional friendships
• Comments behind their back

Tribalism

Why?

Social Media is a perfect storm for relational aggression with females at certain ages.

Graphs cueing

And?

• Forgive - your brains are still developing
• Put the phone away
• It’s okay to be friendly, but not friends.
• There are many resources at the school to help.