A CROSS-CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF BOYS SOCIAL COMPETENCE - FROM FAMILY TO SCHOOL

This study examined the extent to which the hostile attributions and c oercive behaviors of mothers and sons were associated with indexes of aggression, acceptance by peers, and teacher-rated social competence i n the peer group. Ss were 104 married and divorced mothers and their s ons (7 to 9 years old). Mothers' and sons' hostile attributions were s ignificantly related to the coerciveness of their interactions, but on ly mothers' attributions related to reports of the children's aggressi on in the classroom. Boys who reported many stressful events in their lives behaved coercively with their mothers and were viewed as more ag gressive and less socially competent with peers. The relation between stressful life events and the boys' aggression with their peers was me diated, in part, by boys' coerciveness with their mothers. The associa tion between boys' coerciveness with their mothers and social acceptan ce by peers appeared to be mediated by the aggressiveness of their int eractions with their peers.