Girls and Aggression: Contributing Factors and Intervention Principles

Although research on aggressive men and boys has been plentiful, much less attention has been directed toward aggression in girls and women. The increasing number of young women who find themselves living violent lives, both as perpetrators and victims, has led to urgent calls for more information on understanding what causes, what perpetuates and what can be done about this problem.
Addressing this need, Girls and Aggression presents a range of interdisciplinary perspectives on risk and protective factors, developmental pathways and intervention principles specific to the problem of aggression and violence in the lives of young women. Contributions come from the fields of psychology, criminology, education, and sociology, and use both qualitative and quantitative methodologies to explore the issues. Girls and Aggression will be of interest to academic researchers and mental health practitioners alike by providing an up-to-date and comprehensive view of this important and underexplored area.

Dr. Marlene M. Moretti is a Professor of Psychology at Simon Fraser University and has published widely in the field of youth mental health, self development, and parent-adolescent attachment. She currently leads a multi-site Canadian Institutes of Health Research program examining gender, aggression, and violence. Dr. Moretti has served on the government committees and panels focused on the promotion of youth mental health. She has also consulted with Health Canada in providing recommendations to promote healthy adolescent adjustment.

Candice L. Odgers completed her Master’s degree in Criminology at Simon Fraser University where she conducted one of the largest studies of incarcerated female youth in Canada. Candice is currently a Psychology Ph.D. student at the University of Virginia and a Senior Research Associate for a Canadian Institutes of Health Research-sponsored Gender and Aggression Network. Candice is the recipient of a Social Sciences and Humanities Doctoral Fellowship and the Commonwealth Scholarship. She is currently expanding her research to focus on violence within high-risk populations of girls in the United States.

Dr. Margaret Jackson, Professor of Criminology at Simon Fraser University, has conducted research in three main areas: clinical criminology; women's issues, especially violence against women and children; and justice policy. She is currently the principal investigator for a major SSHRC project on marginalized girls and the Director of the Institute for Studies in Criminal Justice Policy at SFU. Dr. Jackson has previously undertaken specific research on child abuse in the Vancouver area, in terms of its prevalence, the problems with its assessment and its impact on young marginalized girls' lives.