A qualitative study of relational aggression in sixth grade girls

Middle school can be a time of great upheaval and unfamiliar footing for a new sixth grader. When students enter middle school, the peer hierarchy and social dynamics of elementary school are often shifted in ways that can be confusing and intimidating. Many new things are expected of a sixth grader that was not expected from a fifth grader. Suddenly there are different teachers for all the classes. There is a choice of classes to take, homework, there is a schedule to memorize. Students are asked to take the initiative and decide what they want to do, rather than having it decided for them by the adults around them. For many students this transition offers a sense of impending adulthood - growing-up - and it is an intimidating time for many