Sex differences in beliefs about aggression: Opponent's
sex and the form of aggression
John Archer and Annadelle Haigh (University of Central Lancashire,
Preston, Lancashire, UK)
Instrumental and expressive beliefs about aggression were examined
when the type of aggression (physical or verbal) and the sex of the opponent
(same sex or opposite-sex partner) were specified. Previously reported
sex differences in instrumental beliefs were found only in the case of
physical aggression towards a same-sex opponent, and then it was largely
restricted to those who are answering with a hypothetical event in mind.
Previously reported sex differences in expressive beliefs applied irrespective
of sex of the partner or the form of aggression.(back
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Women and crime: A feminist evolutionary approach
Anne Campbell (Durham University, Durham, UK)
Steven Muncer (Teesside University, UK)
Despite substantial differences in the absolute rates of male and female
crime, we report correlations of .90 and greater between property and violent
offending within each sex, and between male and female rates of violent
and property offending. We offer a feminist evolutionary account
of this pattern in which we argue that both sexes are affected in the same
way by ecological pressures toward offending but that evolutionary forces
have raised women's threshold of response as a function of their lower
lifetime reproductive rates and their greater parental investment relative
to men.(back to top)
Executive cognitive functioning mediates the relation
between language competence and antisocial behavior in conduct disordered
adolescent females
Peter R. Giancola, Ada C. Mezzich, and Ralph E. Tarter
(Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh
School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA)
The main purpose of this study was to determine whether executive cognitive
functioning (ECF) mediates the relations between language skills and five
different forms of antisocial behavior (ASB) in 320 adolescent females
with (n = 223) and without (n = 97) a conduct disorder. The conduct-disordered
group evinced significantly poorer language and ECF abilities compared
with the controls. Moreover, ECF mediated the relations between language
skills and the different forms of ASB, even when controlling for chronological
age and SES.(back to top)
Moral beliefs supporting aggression related to verbal/physical
types of proactive/reactive aggressive behavior among adolescents
Laura Pakaslahti and Liisa Keltikangas-Jarvinen
(University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland)
Association of moral beliefs supporting aggression to aggressive behavior
among adolescent boys and girls (N = 1679) was investigated. Unintentionality
as an excuse was related to verbal and physical proactive and reactive
aggression. Victim provocation predicted also these types with an exception
of verbal proactive aggression. Aggression as a minor offense was related
to physical forms of aggression. Peer pressure and seriouslessness consequences
predicted proactive physical aggression. Self-defense was not associated
to aggressive behavior. Age and gender differences emerged.(back
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