| Summary: | Bullying behavior among youths has been a long-standing problem that parents and educators spend a great deal of time trying to combat. In particular, relational aggression, due to its covert nature and the difficulty in identifying the behavior, presents a greater challenge to youths, parents and educators and warranted further investigation. This covert behavior appears to peak in middle school and is employed at a higher rate by girls. Thus, a qualitative approach was
used to examine the experiences and perceptions of relational aggression of middle school girls, their parents and middle school educators. Three separate focus groups were conducted with girls, parents and educators and data was analyzed through a social ecological lens. This study also aimed to examine the responses of the participants and the perception girls hold regarding how their parents and teachers respond to reports of relational aggression. Results indicate that boys are
engaging in this behavior more than previously observed and youths are exhibiting aggressive behaviors towards their peers via technological devices and social networking sites more so than in person. Additionally, results indicated that training for both parents and educators on how to identify these behaviors, as well as how to respond to them, is needed. Further, results indicated a disconnect in the communication among girls, parents and educators which the participants report
exacerbates the problem of relational aggression in schools.
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