AGE AND GENDER DIFFERENCES IN ADOLESCENTS REACTIONS TO CONFLICT SITUATIONS - AGGRESSION, PROSOCIALITY, AND WITHDRAWAL

In this study, we examined how aggression, prosociality, and withdrawa l, as reactions to interpersonal conflict situations, manifest themsel ves in pre-, mid-, and late adolescence (N = 2594). The subjects fille d out a questionnaire that contained a description of two everyday pro blem situations with a set of problem-solving strategies. The results showed that aggression develops curvilinearily and that both prosocial ity and withdrawal decrease with age. In addition, both direct and ind irect aggression, as well as withdrawal, were found to be more typical among boys than among girls whereas, in late adolescence, prosocialit y was more typical among girls. The most often used strategy in preado lescence was prosociality and in midadolescence, aggression. In late a dolescence, girls used prosocial and withdrawal strategies most wherea s the most often used strategy among boys was aggression.