Aggressive and Antisocial Girls esearc date and allenges

males are more heavily involved in serious forms of violence than females (Dell & Boe, 1998; Duffy, 1996; Snyder & Sickmund, 1999), the participation of adolescent females in aggressive and antisocial behavior has recently emerged at the forefront of research, policy, and programming agendas (Artz, 1998a; Budnick & Shields-Fletcher, 1998; ReitsmaStreet, 1999). This shift in focus has been largely attributed to increasing rates of violent offending among female youth over the past two decades (OJJDP Statistical Briefing Book, 2000; Savioe, 2000; Snyder & Sickmund, 1999; Statistics Canada, 2001). In addition, changes in the conceptualization of aggression to include indirect and relational forms has led to the conclusion that aggressive behaviors are indeed more common in young women than previously believed (Bjorkgvist & Niemela, 1992; Crick, 1995; Crick & Grotepeter, 1995; Moretti, Holland, & McKay, 2001). As a result, adolescent females are now considered an important population in the study of aggression and antisocial behavior. In this article, we briefly review trends in the rates of female aggression, address the issue of gender specific forms of aggression and discuss research on the role of risk and protective factors. We emphasize the importance of understanding female aggression and related antisocial behaviors through a dynamic developmental framework that recognizes the cumulative and transactional impact of risk and protective factors over time. Our review focuses on adolescent girls in keeping with research that suggests that the risk for aggression and antisocial behavior in girls is most likely acute during this developmental period.