CONSEQUENCES OF RETALIATORY AGGRESSION AGAINST SIBLINGS AND PEERS - URBAN MINORITY CHILDRENS EXPECTATIONS

Expectations about the outcomes of retaliation against siblings were c ompared to those about peers in a group of 10-14-year-old, mostly Afri can-American or Hispanic youth. Boys believed that parents would disap prove more of retaliation against siblings than friends, while girls b elieved parents would equally disapprove of retaliation against either target. Participants of both genders expected that retaliation would deter additional aggressive actions of friends more than of siblings. Participants expected younger siblings, especially brothers, to feel w orse than older siblings following retaliation, and girls expected to feel worse retaliating against younger siblings. Siblings close in age expect fewer negative consequences of retaliation. Children's expecta tions seem to promote more aggression toward friends than siblings and to promote aggression toward siblings closer in age. No ethnic differ ences emerged in expectations about conflict. The findings are discuss ed in relation to research on expectations as a mediator of behavior.