Peer Victimisation and Conflict Resolution Among Adolescent Girls in a Single-sex South Australian School

This study investigated the peer victimisation and conflict resolution experiences of adolescent girls attending a single-sex school. A modified version of the Direct and Indirect Aggression Scales (DIAS, Björkqvist, Österman, and Kaukiainen, 1992) and conflict resolution scales, drawn particularly from the work of Feldman and Gowen (1998), were administered to 325 students in Years 8 to 11. Girls in all year levels experienced more indirect and verbal than physical victimisation, and older girls were subject to more indirect and verbally aggressive behaviours than younger girls. Nonvictims used less overt anger and avoidance than victims. Collectively, the girls used more compromise, avoidance, social support and obliging than overt anger. The results advance our understanding of the behaviours of adolescent girls in conflict with each other in a single-sex setting.