Girls and women more aggressive towards siblings, study finds
Girls and women show slightly more aggression towards siblings than boys and men, a trend seen across cultures.
Why it matters
- Challenges the common belief that men are always more aggressive than women.
- Highlights the importance of context in understanding aggression.
By the numbers
- Survey of 4,136 individuals in 24 countries.
- Aggression measured in direct and indirect forms.
The big picture
- The trend was consistent across wealthier and poorer countries, and Western and Non-Western cultures.
- Suggests a universal contextual effect of sibling relationships on female aggression.
What they're saying
- Personal anecdotes reflect the study’s findings.
- Siblings are seen as competitors for attention and resources, which may explain the aggression.
- The universality of the trend suggests deeper evolutionary or developmental dynamics.
Caveats
- Based on self-reported data, which can have biases.
- The study suggests a universal trend but does not explain the underlying mechanisms fully.
What’s next
- Further research could explore the underlying mechanisms of this trend.
- Understanding these dynamics could help in family therapy and conflict resolution.