Over five days, videotaped and analyzed contrived play sessions of African-American male first and third graders to examine behavioral patterns leading to chronic victimization by peers. Victims demonstrated lower rates of assertive behaviors and higher rates of nonassertive behaviors than nonvictims. Children who eventually emerged as chronic…

Recent research on sex differences in aggressive styles is reviewed. The concept of indirect aggression in particular is presented and discussed, and it is argued that it is nonsensical to claim that males are more aggressive than females. A theory about development of aggressive behavior styles is presented. (SLD)

While a great deal of clinical research attention has been directed toward assertive training, there have been few studies examining the social impact or interpersonal evaluation of assertive versus unassertive behavior, including the differential evaluation of assertiveness exhibited by males and females. In this study, subjects observed a…

Study investigates the relationship between assertiveness and patterns of drug use. Found exploratory use of marijuana and hashish was the norm among this sample of college students. Current users and those never using such drugs were less assertive than those who had experienced these drugs but no longer did so. (Author)

The psychological (expectancy) and physiological (dosage) effects of alcohol on aggressive and assertive behavior were investigated. The expectancy manipulation was accomplished by informing subjects that the beer they were to receive was either half as strong or twice as strong as commercially available beer. The dosage manipulation involved…

The assertive acts of 48 toddlers and the responses of peers and teachers were registered. It is argued that the higher response rate recorded for boys' acts informs the child that such behavior will produce an effect in his world, while the lack of response to girls' acts suggest the opposite to girls. (Author/RDN)

Interpersonal communication can be viewed in terms of an aggressive-nonaggressive continuum. Past research has often focused on nonaggressive forms of interpersonal communication, such as understanding how people get to know one another, how trust and intimacy develop, and the role of self-disclosure in relationship development. However,…

Assertive behavior in children is characterized as manipulation and exploration of the environment. Assertive behavior can be nondestructive or destructive. It has been suggested that learning is dependent on assertion and that distortion or inhibition of assertive behavior may restrict or distort the learning process. Fifty Head Start children…

Based on the latest knowledge about early violence prevention and effective teaching strategies, this book describes practical ways for early childhood educators to handle children's aggression and shows how to help children become assertive, nonviolent problem solvers. The book's repertoire of proven approaches includes teaching children how to…