Gender network dynamics in prosocial and aggressive behavior of early adolescents

• Published in: Social networks Vol. 58; pp. 12 - 23
• Main Authors: Hsiao, Yuan, Cheng, Ching-Ling, Chiu, Ya-Wen
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.07.2019; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Subjects: Adolescents; Aggressive behavior; Aggressiveness; Gender; Gender networks; Network selection; Panel data; Peer influence; Prosocial behavior; SienaBayes; Network selection; Peer influence; Aggressive behavior; SienaBayes; Prosocial behavior; Gender networks
• ISSN: 0378-8733; 1879-2111
• DOI: 10.1016/j.socnet.2019.01.002

•We provide data from a culturally Chinese setting to complement current European-American samples.•Network selection and influence processes depend on gender networks.•Network selection on prosocial behavior varies across gender networks.•Influence effects of aggression differ according to the form of aggression and gender networks.•Prevalence of behavior within a specific gender does not imply that influence processes also occur within the gender network. Network selection and influence on aggressive and prosocial behavior have been of great concern, but current research is limited by predominant studies in European-American societies and insufficient consideration on gender networks. Using panel data from 702 seventh grade students in a Chinese society, we show that while results are in general consistent with European-American samples, network processes differ between all ties, male ties, female ties, and cross-gender ties. Furthermore, the prevalence of behavior is often at odds with influence effects in gender networks. This article demonstrates the necessity to distinguish sub-networks within networks.