RELATIONAL AGGRESSION

Behaviors which attempt to harm others through social isolation & damage to interpersonal relationships; Manipulative behaviors; Social ostracism; Spreading malicious rumors; Behaviors associated with psychosocial impairment; Children/adolescents – associated with peer rejection, depression, & maladaptive personality; Young adults – correlation with peer rejection, antisocial personality, borderline personality

RELATIONAL AGGRESSION RESEARCH (Storch, Werner, & Storch, 2003)

Aim to examine correlation b/w relational aggression & psychosocial adjustment among intercollegiate athletes; Participants: 105 D1 athletes (51 fem/54 male); 19 years ave. age; From women’s soccer, volleyball, basketball, swimming; men’s swimming, tennis, football; Findings: For men, relational aggression correlated w/ peer rejection; For women, relational aggression correlated w/ alcohol problems & peer rejection; Significant association w/ maladjustment

HAZING

Any activity expected of someone joining a group that humiliates, degrades, abuses, or endangers that person – regardless of person’s willingness to participate; Can be physical, psychological, or alcohol-related

HAZING RESEARCH (Waldron & Kowalski, 2009; Hamilton et al, 2016)

Interviewed w/ 21 athletes; Motives included having fun, initiation, intimidation, jealousy; Occurs more often in team, contact, competitive sports; Athletes participate to follow norms & be accepted by teammates; 71% university athletes participated; Male athletes & collision-sport athletes most involved; Amount of hazing endured as rookie correlated w/ amount of hazing initiated as veteran; Moral disengagement

BULLYING

Unwanted, repeated, and intentional aggressive behavior, usually among peers; Can involve real or perceived power imbalance; Threats, spreading rumors, verbal or physical attacks, deliberate exclusion, intimidation; In person or online; Consequences for victims include increased anxiety, lower self-esteem, depression

BULLYING RESEARCH (Evans et al, 2016)

Those who were bullied had weaker relationships w/ teammates; Those doing bullying had weaker relationships w/ coaches