Relational aggression in young adults' friendships and romantic relationships

Sara E. Goldstein

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

49 Scopus citations

Abstract

This study examines young adults' experiences with relational aggression among friends and romantic partners. Results suggest that relational aggression occurs more frequently among romantic partners than among friends. A gender difference in relational aggression emerged in the romantic context (females were more aggressive), but no gender difference was found in the friendship context. Relationship exclusivity and normative beliefs about relational aggression predicted aggressive behavior across contexts, while rumination predicted relational aggression in the romantic context but not in the friendship context. Implications of these findings, as well as directions for future research, are discussed.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)645-656
Number of pages12
JournalPersonal Relationships
Volume18
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 2011

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