Abstract
The main purposes of the present study were to classify aggressive behaviors of preschool children according to the context in which they occur, and to examine subtypes of aggressive behavior in relation to gender, peer group status, and numbers of aggressive children. Four-and 5-years-old preschoolers (16 boys and 18 girls) were observed in a natural setting for one year. A total of 160 aggressive behaviors were observed and classified into 3 categories : proactive overt aggression, instrumental bullying, and relational aggression. The results showed that boys showed more proactive overt aggression and instrumental bullying aggression than girls, while girls showed more relational aggressive behaviors than boys. In addition, children were aggressive according to their peer group status. Children who were classified as "nuclear" in their peer group had higher frequencies of relational aggressive behavior than children who were otherwise classified. Children who were classified as "isolated" suffered more than others from relational aggression.
