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Policing Girlhood? Relational Aggression and Violence Prevention

University of Hawaii at Manoa

Merry Morash

Michigan State University

Katherine Irwin

University of Hawaii at Manoa

Relational, covert, and indirect aggression among girls has recently caught the attention of those interested in school violence prevention. In the name of being gender responsive, violence prevention or antibullying programs are being encouraged to include this form of aggression among the sorts of behaviors one seeks to prevent. The authors review the literature on relational aggression and suggest that the research to date does not necessarily support the notions that such aggression is the exclusive province of girls, that those who engage in it have other social problems, and most importantly, that it is equivalent to physical aggression, violence, or bullying. The authors argue, then, that scarce violence prevention resources should not be diverted to prevent this nonviolent behavior. Furthermore, the authors speculate that policing what is essentially noncriminal behavior simply encourages further and unnecessary control over girls and brings an increased number of girls into noncompliance with school rules and policies.

Key Words: girls • aggression • social control

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