Gender Differences In Aggression
Aggression is widespread and universal across humancultures. Thus, it remains a large area of study within the social psychology. Bushman &Anderson (2001) defined human aggression as “any behavior directed towards another individual that is carried out with the immediate intent to cause harm. In addition, the perpetrator must believe that the behavior will harm the target and that the target is motivated to avoid the behaviour” In the present paper an attempt has been made to explore and analyse gender differences in aggressive behaviour reported in social psychology.
The research on gender differences in aggression reveals that men are more aggressive than women on an average but the magnitude of the sex differences are significantly related to various attributes and are inconsistent across studies. Gender differences also vary greatly with the type of aggression at issue. Aggression can be direct(aimed at the target clearly steaming from aggressor) such as fighting, hitting, kicking, punching and scratching or it can be indirect(harming the target, without being personally involved in attack) such as gossiping, spreading rumors, bickering, exposing secrets and betraying. In a study by Kirsti M. J. Lagerspetz in 1988, it was found that males made greater use of direct means of aggression whereas women tended to occupy indirect means. The gender differences in indirect aggression were however less noticeable.
Gender roles are one of the explanations of the sex differences in aggression. These roles consist of the norms that apply to individuals because of their socially identified gender. Male gender role includes norms that encourage many forms of aggression. Men are expected to be tough, violent, and aggressive. Aggressiveness among male heroes in literature, movies and the popular culture validates this idea. Also, research on gender stereotypes has shown that men are rated as more aggressive, assertive and competitive than women. The traditional female gender role gives little importance to aggression. Eagly & Crowley in 1986 pointed out that the primacy this role gives to caring and other communal qualities may favor behaviours incompatible with aggression. In addition, the homemaker role emphasizes care-giving and other forms of personal service.
Some aggressive behaviors may be more common in one sex not because of gender roles, but of other social roles occupied mainly by that sex. Arkin and Dobrofsky (1978) argued, military roles foster a number of traditionally masculine values. Aggressiveness is central among these values. Stein & Hoffman, 1978 believed that participation in competitive sports may also promote aggressive behavior as well as an ideology that supports aggressiveness. Since men are more likely than women to participate in such sports, the behaviour and the values fostered in athletic roles affect them more. Thus, these several aspects of social-role analysis suggest that the overall aggression sex difference tends to be in the male direction. The magnitude of sex differences in aggression varies considerably across studies because of the complexities in the ways social roles regulate aggression.
