Interventions for Relational Aggression: Innovative Programming and Next Steps in Research and Practice

The problem of youth violence has become a national priority given both the cost and repercussions to youth, our school systems, and to society (Eisenbraun, 2007). Although many research studies, books, and popular press articles have been devoted to this important topic, most of these prior investigations of youth aggressive behaviors have several key limitations, which include the following: (a) a focus on aggressive boys as opposed to aggressive girls, (b) a focus on physical and overt forms of aggression (e.g., hitting, pushing, shoving, kicking) as opposed to the more subtle manifestations of social exclusion and rumors (termed relational aggression) that are more salient for girls when they express their anger towards their peers (e.g., Crick & Grotpeter, 1995); and (c) the development and validation of school-based interventions that focus almost exclusively on the physical manifestations of aggression without consideration of relational forms (Leff et al., 2009).

Over the past two decades there has been increasing research examining gender differences in the expression of aggression. This research has suggested that boys typically display their aggression through direct, physical means, often termed physical or overt aggression (e.g., hitting, pushing, or kicking), which is thought to be related to dominance (Crick & Grotpeter, 1995). Further, prior studies have demonstrated that physical aggressors are at risk for social problem-solving deficits, behavioral and emotional difficulties, peer relationship problems, and academic deficits (Parker & Asher, 1987). In contrast, research suggests that close to 20% of girls display their aggression in a more socially manipulative manner that includes behaviors such as starting rumors and using social exclusion (Crick & Grotpeter, 1995; Leff et al., 2009). Including information related to relational aggression within studies is extremely important given prior research suggesting that failing to assess for relational aggression may lead to the underidentification of 80% of aggressive girls and 40% of aggressive boys (Crick & Grotpeter, 1995). Recent research has also demonstrated that relational aggression is related to a number of difficulties including peer relationship problems, behavioral difficulties, academic struggles, and teacher–student conflicts (Card, Stucky, Sawalani, & Little, 2008), and that it may be associated with serious adjustment difficulties for girls as they reach adolescence and young adulthood (Werner & Crick, 1999). Also, research has found that adolescents who are victims of relational aggression believe that their school is less safe and rate their school-based social experiences as being relatively negative (Goldstein, Young, & Boyd, 2008). As such, developing early interventions for relational aggressors and victims holds much promise for improving the health and well-being of school-age children, their schools, and their communities.

It is crucial that school-based professionals, especially school psychologists, be involved in the development, implementation, and evaluation of school-based interventions for relational aggression (Leff et al., 2009). Although there are a growing number of popularized books and movies on relational aggression, there have been very few empirically based interventions designed to help school psychologists, teachers, and/or administrators systematically and responsibly address these common yet harmful behaviors that occur frequently among today’s youth. In fact, there have only been two special series on the topic of relational aggression, and no prior systematic collection of articles associated with relational aggression in any school psychology journal. The two prior special issues on relational aggression addressed the important role of relational aggression during the early childhood years in Early Education & Development (Ostrov & Crick, 2005), and relational aggression and close relationships across developmental time periods in Applied Developmental Psychology (Ostrov & Crick, 2006). Thus, despite its recognition as a major concern for youth and the schools, and its high prevalence rate among today’s youth, this collection of articles represents the first synthesis of empirically based studies on interventions to address relational aggression and victimization in the schools, and thereby fills an important gap in the literature base and has important implications for school psychologists.

The first article in the special series reviews the developmental research on relational aggression that is applicable to the development and evaluation of interventions to reduce relational aggression and/or victimization (Leff, Waasdorp, & Crick, 2010). The article describes the results of a systematic literature review to identify programs designed and/or implemented to reduce relational aggression and victimization. Nine programs are identified, and the strengths and limitations of each program are discussed. Finally, the authors recommend areas of further research for school-based programming for relational aggression and discuss implications from the intervention research for school-based providers.

The second article in the series uses a randomized controlled design to examine whether the Steps to Respect Program, a bullying prevention program, results in decreases in malicious gossip in one of the most important school contexts, on the playground during school recess (Low, Frey, & Brockman, 2010). The results demonstrated that this relatively brief universal prevention program appears to reduce rates of malicious gossip on school playgrounds. In addition, beliefs about aggression and the role of friends’ social support are explored as potential moderators of program effect.

The third article in the special series describes how a participatory action research approach was used to effectively allow the Quebec Ministry of Education, a school board, and a prevention/intervention center to collaborate with researchers to develop an extremely brief program for raising the awareness of indirect and relational aggression for elementary school students and teachers (Verlaan & Turmel, 2010). Although the preliminary evaluation of three brief workshops with teachers and students on the problem of relational aggression indicated that adaptations were necessary to the curriculum, the preliminary program suggested that participants may have improved their knowledge regarding specific aspects of relational aggression.

The final article describes how one of the first interventions for urban relationally aggressive girls (Leff et al., 2007; Leff et al., 2009) was further adapted so that it could be evaluated as a universal prevention program (Leff et al., 2010). The resulting Preventing Relational Aggression in Schools Everyday Program (PRAISE) consists of 20 sessions that are cofacilitated by therapists and the classroom teacher; primary teaching modalities include culturally adapted cartoons, video illustrations, and role plays. Preliminary results indicate that the program was rated as being quite acceptable and feasible, and positive findings were demonstrated for relationally aggressive girls and all girls within the intervention condition. However, the program was not particularly effective for boys, which suggests some adaptations for future research on the PRAISE Program.

Finally, the special series concludes with commentaries from two leaders in school- and community-based aggression prevention, Bonnie Leadbeater and Hill Walker. Their commentaries will help readers understand the contributions of the individual articles and the special series, and suggest future areas for research and practice in the development and validation of programs for relational aggression and victimization.

Biographies

Stephen S. Leff, PhD, is an associate professor of clinical psychology in pediatrics at The University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and a psychologist at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. He directs two National Institute of Mental Health funded intervention programs: the Friend to Friend Program, a group intervention program for inner-city relationally aggressive girls, and the Preventing Relational Aggression in Schools Everyday Program, a classroom-based relational aggression program for all third-and fourth-grade students. His publications and research interests include aggression prevention in the urban schools and community, gender and social cognitive differences in the expression of aggression, integrity monitoring of interventions, and partnership-based approaches to measurement and intervention development.

Nicki Crick is director and professor at the Institute of Child Development and director of the Center on Relational Aggression, University of Minnesota. She currently holds three endowed chairs, the Distinguished McKnight University Professorship, the Irving B. Harris Professorship in Child Development, and the Birkmaier Professorship of Educational Leadership. She is internationally known for her pioneering research on relational aggression, work that has been funded by the National Science Foundation, the National Institute of Mental Health, and the National Institute of Child Health and Development as well as from private foundations such as the Harry Guggenheim Foundation and the William T. Grant Foundation.