My research team has focused recently on the study of relational aggression (e.g., using social exclusion or rumor spreading as a form of retaliation), a form of aggression that has been shown to be more characteristic of girls than are the physical, overt forms of aggression that traditionally have been studied in the past. To date, our studies have shown that

1. relationally aggressive children are at risk for both concurrent and future social-psychological maladjustment (e.g., peer rejection, problematic friendships),
2. children who engage in gender non-normative forms of aggression (relationally aggressive boys and overtly aggressive girls) may be at heightened risk for maladjustment, and
3. social information-processing factors may play a role in the generation of relationally aggressive behaviors. We are currently conducting a five-year longitudinal study of the antecedents (e.g., parent and sibling socialization factors), correlates (e.g., friendship qualities), and consequences (e.g., depression, delinquency) of relational and overt aggression in which we are following children from their third to their sixth years of school.

For more on her research see
"Sugar and spice—NOT!: Aggression in girls"

Recent publications

Crick, NR & Zahn-Waxler, C (2003). The development of psychopathology in females and males: Current progress and future challenges. Development and Psychopathology 15(3), 719-742.

Crick, NR (2003). A gender-balanced approach to the study of childhood aggression and reciprocal family influences. In: Crouter, AC & Booth, A (Eds). Children's influence on family dynamics: The neglected side of family relationships. (pp. 229-235). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers.

Ostrov, JM, Woods, KE, Jansen, EA, Casas, JF, & Crick, NR (2004). An observational study of delivered and received aggression, gender, and social-psychological adjustment in preschool: "This White Crayon Doesn't Work...". Early Childhood Research Quarterly 19(2), 355-371.

Werner, NE & Crick, NR (2004). Maladaptive Peer Relationships and the Development of Relational and Physical Aggression During Middle Childhood. Social Development 13(4), 495-514.

Crick, NR Ostrov, JM, Appleyard, K, Jansen, EA & Casas, JF (2004). Relational Aggression in Early Childhood: "You Can't Come to My Birthday Party Unless..." In: Putallaz, M & Bierman, KL (Eds). Aggression, antisocial behavior, and violence among girls: A developmental perspective. (pp. 71-89). New York: Guilford Publications, Inc.

Ostrov, JM & Crick, NR (2005). Current Directions in the Study of Relational Aggression During Early Childhood. Early Education and Development 16(2), 109-113.

Burr, JE, Ostrov, JM, Jansen, EA, Cullerton-Sen, C, & Crick, NR (2005) Relational Aggression and Friendship During Early Childhood: "I Won't Be Your Friend'! Early Education and Development 16(2), 161-183.

Ostrov, JM, Crick, NR, & Keating, CF (2005) Gender-biased Perceptions of Preschoolers' Behavior: How Much Is Aggression and Prosocial Behavior in the Eye of the Beholder? Sex Roles 52(5-6), 393-398.

Cullerton-Sen, C, & Crick, NR (2005). Understanding the Effects of Physical and Relational Victimization: The Utility of Multiple Perspectives in Predicting Social-Emotional Adjustment. School Psychology Review 34(2), 147-160.