NCJ Number
101290
Journal
British Journal of Criminology Volume: 26 Issue: 1 Dated: (January 1986) Pages: 28-46
Date Published
1986
Length
19 pages
Annotation
To examine the experiences, attitudes, and perceived limits of aggressive behavior, a self-report questionnaire study was conducted of 3 samples of British girls and women: 251 schoolgirls, 60 borstal residents, and 53 prison inmates.
Abstract
The study participants were located in London, Liverpool, and Oxford, England; and in Glasgow, Scotland. Questionnaires were administered in a classroom situation. Results indicate that a large proportion of subjects in all three samples had been involved in at least one fight in the past year, principally against another female. The fights usually arose around issues of personal integrity or loyalty to friends< who were not present to defend themselves. The majority of fights resulted in minor injuries such as bruises and cuts, and the animosity was not long lasting. There was a high consensus with respect to the kinds of behavior which were considered inappropriate in aggressive encounters. These social rules operated to exclude access to adults or other authority figures and to limit the possible damage sustained. Schoolgirls who reported having engaged in more than six fights were characterized as having begun fighting at a younger age, participating in more mixed-sex groups, having more positive attitudes toward fighting, and being more willing to break the limiting rules of fighting. Many of these same characteristics were also more common among the two incarcerated samples. Tables and 25 references. (Author abstract modified)