"In the eye of the beholder...": Girls', boys' and teachers' perceptions of boys' aggression to girls
- Authors: Owens, Larry , Shute, Rosalyn , Slee, Phillip
- Date: 2005
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Education Journal Vol. 5, no. 5 (2005), p. 142-151
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- Description: Because children and young teenagers usually associate in same-sex groups, psychological research concerned with adolescent aggression has often concentrated on within-sex relationships. However, during adolescence, boys and girls increasingly interact socially. This paper reports a study of boy-to-girl aggression as perceived by girls, boys and their teachers. Focus group discussions were conducted with groups of Grade 9 adolescents (aged between 14 and 15 years) across four middle class schools in metropolitan Adelaide, South Australia, and individual interviews were conducted with their teachers. Thematic analyses revealed different understandings by girls, boys and teachers of the same behaviour. Girls and teachers reported that boys frequently use verbally offensive language including sexual harassment toward girls but boys argued that they were often not being malicious but rather just joking and that girls over-reacted. Girls, boys and teachers agreed that boys often harassed girls in order to impress other boys and for their own entertainment or fun. Teachers also emphasised home and cultural background factors in influencing boys' behaviour toward girls. All three groups agreed that boys' behaviour toward girls could have devastating effects on the girl victims. Girls' appearance was reported as a major contributing factor associated with boys' victimisation such that, while physical attractiveness could protect a girl from boys' meanness, over-weight girls or those seen as being unattractive or 'uncool' were vulnerable. However, girls were not seen universally as passive victims. Girls, boys and teachers reported that many girls responded assertively and even matched boys' aggression. Girls and boys agreed that teacher intervention was often not helpful. In contrast, teachers reported the effectiveness of school anti-harassment policies and a range of successful interventions. This study highlights the importance of understanding behaviour from different perspectives and confirms research that emphasises the crucial role of the peer group in influencing aggressive interactions among students in schools. © 2005 Shannon Research Press.
- Description: C1
- Description: 2003001255
"They do it just to show off." Year 9 girls,' boys' and their teachers' explanations for boys' aggression to girls
- Authors: Owens, Larry , Shute, Rosalyn , Slee, Phillip
- Date: 2007
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Adolescence and Youth Vol. 13, no. 4 (2007), p. 343-360
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- Description: Because children and young teenagers usually associate in same-sex groups, study of aggression in schools has often focused on within-sex interactions. However, during adolescence, boys and girls increasingly interact with each other which provides the opportunity for constructive pro-social relationships as well as for damaging conflict and aggression. This paper examines the explanations of boys' aggression to girls provided in focus group discussions and individual interviews at four middle class Adelaide metropolitan schools by Grade 9 boys, girls and their teachers. Thematic analyses revealed some common and some differing explanations across boys, girls and teachers. AU agreed that boys were verbally aggressive to girls in order to impress other boys and for their own entertainment or fun (i.e., to get a laugh). Boys and teachers reported that boys' offensive behaviour to girls was sometimes an attempt to impress girls. For some boys, the motive for hurting girls was revenge. Some teachers suggested that boys' hurtful behaviour may be explained by sexist attitudes learned at home. This study highlights the vital role of the peer group in motivating boys' aggressive behaviour toward girls. It also emphasizes the importance of understanding behaviour from the different perspectives of boys, girls and teachers. © 2007 A B Academic Publishers.
- Description: C1
- Description: 2003005852
Boys' aggression to girls : The views of year 9 girls, boys and their teachers
- Authors: Owens, Larry , Shute, Rosalyn , Slee, Phillip
- Date: 2006
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at the XVI World Meeting of the International Society for Research on Aggression, Turku, Finland : 1st July, 2004 p. 91-95
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- Description: Because children and young teenagers usually associate in same-sex groups, psychological research concerned with adolescent aggression has often concentrated on within-sex interactions. Sociological and feminist research, however, has highlighted boys’ victimization of girls, especially through sexual harassment. This paper reports a study of boy to girl aggression as perceived by boys, girls and their teachers. Focus group discussions were conducted with groups of Year 9 adolescents (aged between 14 and 15 years) across four middle class schools in metropolitan Adelaide, South Australia. Individual interviews were also conducted with their teachers. Thematic analyses (using NUDIST software) revealed different understandings by boys, girls and teachers of the same behaviour. Girls and teachers reported that boys often use verbally offensive language including sexual harassment toward girls but boys argued that they were often not being malicious but rather just joking and that girls over-react. Boys, girls and teachers agreed that boys often harassed girls in order to impress other boys and for their own entertainment or fun. Teachers also emphasized home and cultural background factors in influencing boys’ behavior toward girls. Girls’ appearance was reported as a major contributing factor associated with boys’ victimization – while physical attractiveness could protect a girl from boys’ meanness, over-weight girls or those seen as being unattractive or “uncool” were vulnerable. However, girls were not seen universally as passive victims. Boys, girls and teachers reported that many girls respond assertively and even match boys’ aggression. Boys and girls agreed that teacher intervention was often not helpful. In contrast, teachers reported the effectiveness of school anti-harassment policies and a range of successful interventions. All three groups agreed that boys’ behavior toward girls could have devastating effects on the girl victims. This study highlights the importance of understanding behaviour from different perspectives and confirms research that emphasizes the crucial role of the peer group in influencing aggressive interactions amongst students in schools.
- Description: E1
- Description: 2003002162
Everyday victimization of adolescent girls by boys: Sexual harassment, bullying or aggression?
- Authors: Shute, Rosalyn , Owens, Larry , Slee, Phillip
- Date: 2008
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Sex Roles Vol. 58, no. 7-8 (2008), p. 477-489
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- Description: School-based sexual harassment of adolescent girls by boys appears commonplace, yet aggression and bullying studies rarely yield sexualized material. This qualitative Australian study with 72 14- to 15-year-olds and 7 teachers aimed to discover whether interviewer use of neutral language in gender-segregated focus groups and interviews would yield material indicating that the victimization of girls by boys is sexualized. Verbal and indirect victimization were reported to be everyday occurrences, and almost entirely sexual. Findings are discussed in the light of definitions of sexual harassment, bullying and aggression. It is concluded that the term "sexual bullying" appropriately captures the gendered power structure underlying these behaviors. As such, they need to be understood, and become visible, more broadly than in terms of individual pathology. © 2007 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.
- Description: C1
Girls' aggressive behaviour
- Authors: Owens, Larry , Shute, Rosalyn , Slee, Phillip
- Date: 2004
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: The Prevention Researcher Vol. 11, no. 3 (2004), p. 9-10
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- Description: In contrast to boys' bullying behavior which is often overt and easily visible, girls' aggression is usually indirect and covert. Less research has been conducted on the types of bullying that girls usually engage in. Using focus groups composed of teenaged girls, Dr. Owens and colleagues examine the nature of teenage girls' indirect aggression. Behaviors by the girls in the focus group found that "bitching" was a common way for girls to join together and defame their peers. Girls also reported using exclusionary behaviors, such as ignoring others, and indirect harassment such as leaving hurtful messages. Reasons given for participating in this behavior include alleviating boredom and to be part of a group.
- Description: C1
- Description: 2003000944
Mental health and wellbeing through schools : The way forward
- Authors: Shute, Rosalyn , Slee, Phillip
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Edited book
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Mental health and wellbeing through schools: Thinking big, acting wisely
- Authors: Shute, Rosalyn , Slee, Phillip
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Book chapter
- Relation: Mental Health and Wellbeing through Schools: The Way Forward p. 185-197
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- Description: Here, we discuss a number of themes emerging from the foregoing chapters, including: adopting a systems framework; hard-to-tame problems; leadership and boundary spanners; models of organisational change; and teacher buy-in to programs. Some additional themes that we consider worthy of greater attention include the voices of young people, gender, and green schooling. We conclude that 'thinking big' is not antagonistic to 'acting small', if our interventions are wise. © 2016 selection and editorial matter, Rosalyn H. Shute and Phillip T. Slee, individual chapters, the contributors. All rights reserved