The Role of Evaluator-Victim Relationships in Children's Evaluations of Peer Provocation

It Takes Two to Fight in School Too: A Social Relations Model of the Psychometric Properties and Relative Variance of Dyadic Aggression and Victimization in Middle School

Aggressive behavior has been well-studied in terms of interindividual differences among aggressors and victims, but has been understudied, especially within naturalistic contexts, in terms of aggressor-victim relationships. The Social Relations Model (SRM) is a powerful conceptual and analytic tool for studying dyadic phenomena, and we describe the use of multivariate SRM to study aggression. Boys and girls (N = 210) in middle schools (sixth and seventh grades) completed a newly created Dyadic Aggression and Victimization Inventory (DAVI). Results support the reliability and validity of the DAVI in assessing interindividual and interdyadic differences in aggression and victimization. Occurrences of aggression were accounted for primarily by interdyadic variability, indicating the importance of considering aggressor-victim relationships. We discuss the implications of this relationship focus for future research and intervention efforts.

A Cross-Cultural Examination of Children's Understanding of “The Enemy”

Despite the apparent ease and regularity with which adults label individuals and groups as “the enemy,” little is known regarding how children understand this concept. The current qualitative study examined the concept of enemy as understood by 105 3- to 12-yr.-old children from two sides of an international conflict—Yugoslavia and the United States. This article provides an analysis of the children's answers during a structured interview regarding their understanding of enemies, specifically the perceptions of children in a war zone and the perceptions of children living in relative safety. Children of all ages could discuss the concept of enemy. They described both interpersonal and group conflict. A common theme in both Yugoslavian and U.S. children's descriptions was that an enemy is someone who is bad or does bad things. The children recognized the importance of at least two “sides” and discussed reciprocal or mutual feelings. In general, the children showed great optimism that one's enemies can become one's friends. These findings are interpreted in terms of developmental issues and sociopolitical context.