Relational aggression is a type of
aggression in which harm is caused by damaging someone's relationships or
social status. Although it can be used in many contexts and among different age groups, relational aggression among
adolescents in particular has received a lot of attention. The attention this form of aggression has gotten has been augmented by the help of popular media, including movies like
Mean Girls and books like
Odd Girl Out by R. Simmons (2003),
Nesthäkchen and the World War by
Else Ury (1916), and
Queen Bees and Wannabes by R. Wiseman (2003). Relational aggression can have various lifelong consequences. Relational aggression has been primarily observed and studied among girls.