Newspaper headlines on Britain's out-of-control youth have concentrated on older children, particularly boys, with violence viewed as a predominantly male problem. Research has shown a similar bias. As a result little is known about aggression in the very young, and even less about the 'bad'
behaviour of young girls. For my study, I carried out observations in the nursery playrooms and conducted interviews with nursery staff and parents.
'Challenging' behaviour
Nursery staff attributed clear gender differences to children, especially with regard to problematic and aggressive behaviour. Boys were commonly considered 'boisterous' and more of a management problem compared with girls. Play fighting, super-hero play and constantly running about the playroom were attributed to boys. The majority of girls were viewed as 'no problem', quiet, amenable and inclined to concentrate on structured activities.
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