Boarding Schools for Girls

There is no truth to the myth that that girls are "cattier" than boys, according to a new study from the University of Arizona. Researchers found that boys are just as socially aggressive as girls are, and that both sexes gossip, spread rumors, and intentionally exclude others from their cliques. Many in the field assume that boys are more likely to bully and pick fights in a physical way, but girls are more likely to express aggression verbally or in written communication.

Noel Card, assistant professor of family studies and human development, researched 148 previous studies involving 74,000 children. He and his colleagues found that certain children, especially boys, are more likely to be both socially and physically aggressive.

Professor Card linked physical aggression to problems such as delinquency, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, poor social skills, and lack of empathy. Social aggression was associated with depression and low self-esteem.

This study appears in the journal Child Development.

Labels: boys, gossip, social_skills