Factors Influencing Children's Evaluations of Aggression and Passivity

Abstract

One hundred and sixty boys aged mainly between 9 and 11 years evaluated aggressive acts that were performed either to achieve the respondent's own goals (personal aggression) or to help another individual (social aggression). The personal aggressive behaviours were further classified according to whether they were designed to hurt the victim (hostile) or were exhibited to take control of property (instrumental), and according to whether the sequence was started by the aggressor (initiatory) or by the victim (reactive). Social aggression received the highest evaluations and, regardless of the intention, reactive aggression was judged significantly higher than initiatory aggression. Ninety six of the pupils rated a person who remained passive in situations providing opportunities for social, reactive instrumental and reactive hostile aggression. Failure to participate in social aggression was viewed with more disfavour than the other types of passivity. Judgements of aggression and passivity were positively associated with anticipations of paternal responses. Social class differences in evaluations were more evident for passivity than for aggression, and several explanations are offered for this finding.