Onset, trajectories and outcome of aggression in adolescent females.

Abstract

Most previous research on aggression has focused predominantly on males. Aggression in males and females follows similar curvilinear trajectories, however, they have different onsets and outcomes. In this review, trajectories and outcomes of aggression are discussed, focusing mainly on gender differences. Aggression is most prevalent in early adolescence but displays of aggression decline as individuals age. Males and females usually follow the same developmental trajectories including childhood-onset, adolescence-onset and adulthood-onset trajectories of aggression. However, males are more likely to follow the life-course-persistent trajectory while females, the adolescence-onset trajectory. It was proposed that both genders shared similar risk factors including family environment. In fact females’ aggression was proposed to be similar to the males’ although females tended to have a more delayed onset of aggression. A trajectory proposed to be specific to females is the adolescence-delayed-onset trajectory of aggression. In term of expression of aggression, as expected, males were found to engage in more physical aggression in the later years. On the other hand, females engaged in different forms of aggression especially those relating to substance abuse.

Keywords: aggression, gender differences, onset, developmental trajectory of aggression, outcomes