Define physical, relational, and retaliatoryaggression. Provide examples for all three from

middle childhood. How do the patterns for these types of aggression change for boys and girls
during middle childhood?

What will be an ideal response?

Physical aggression:
1. hitting, fighting with, attacks on other that involve bodily contact or the use of objects to injure
another's body. Can include threats of physical injury or attach on others or possessions of others
2. examples can vary should include some physical event
3. decreases in middle childhood except for boy-boy orall-boys group interactions; Girls are rarely
physically aggressive. In boy groups, physical aggression remains high and consistent over time.
Often physical aggression is approved of by the all-boy peer group.
Relational Aggression:
1. aimed at hurting other's self-esteem or social status
2. examples can vary; isolation, gossip, verbal bullying; cruel statements perhaps on Internet 3. done
more frequently by girls; begins to increase inpreschool years until fourth and fifth grades
Retaliatory Aggression:
1. performed to get revenge for hurtful acts committed against you or your group; can be physical or
relational
2. examples can vary; can be physical or relational
3. increases in both boys and girls. Correlated withunderstanding of intentional versus accidental acts.
Increase begins at 8-years old.