DECONSTRUCTING THE MYTH OF THE NONAGGRESSIVE WOMAN - A FEMINIST ANALYSIS

One of the most pervasive and undisputed gender stereotypes is that me n are more aggressive than women. However, this stereotype has, until recently, led researchers to conclude that women are nonaggressive and , therefore, to ignore the topic of female aggression as a distinct ph enomenon. The basis of the myth, factors supporting its maintenance, a nd theories of female aggression are examined. A feminist reinterpreta tion of aggression that views women's and men's aggressive behavior wi thin social structural arrangements that create and sustain differenti al power relations is presented.