Relational Aggression is using the power of relationships to hurt others emotionally. It is more subtle than physical aggression but can be as emotionally damaging.
The Ophelia Project is a national non profit organization founded in Erie, PA in 1997. The program was inspired by the work of Mary Pipher, author of Reviving Ophelia [Ballantine Books, 1995], whose work brought the emotional struggles and experiences of teen girls into sharp focus. Their mission is to serve “youth and adults who are affected by relational and other non-physical forms of aggression by providing them with a unique combination of tools, strategies and solutions”. (Ophelia Project website, 2009).
Ophelia Project Programs
The Ophelia Project provides school-based and community services designed to combat the cultural norms that allow relational aggression to occur. For schools, The Ophelia Project offers the CASS: Creating a Safe School program to individual schools who wish to address these issues in a comprehensive way. Some of the components of the CASS program include assessment, teacher training, curriculum implementation, and parent workshops.
One of the most unique components of their program is a peer mentoring model, whereby older youth are trained to help build skills in younger kids. Their programs are research-based and evaluated on a regular basis. The Ophelia Project also works collaboratively with a variety of youth organizations to increase the reach of its efforts. Curriculum offerings available through the Ophelia Project website include materials for students, professionals, and parents.
The Ophelia Institute
The Ophelia Institute, a partnership between the Ophelia Project and Penn State Erie at The Behrend College, was established in 2004. Its goals include conducting research supporting social aggression initiatives in schools, developing educational materials, creating web-based outreach materials, effecting public policy, and providing workshops and seminars for teachers, counselors, parents, and administrators.
Preventing Relational Aggression
There are protective factors that tend to help inoculate girls against becoming involved with relational aggression. “Adolescents who are more connected to their school have secure relationships with adults, demonstrate empathy and report more forgiveness are less likely to be involved with relationally aggressive behavior. Further, they report less tolerance of relationally aggressive behaviors in others.” (The Ophelia Project, 2009).
Behaviors and Beliefs that Affect Relational Aggression
The Ophelia Project’s program recognizes and addresses the following influences on behavior:
- Social norms – socially accepted rules for how people are to behave
- Normative beliefs – personal beliefs about the appropriateness of behavior
- Empathy – Encompasses three equally important components: emotional (identifying feelings), cognitive (taking the perspective of another) and application (choosing the appropriate behavior).
- Hostile Attribution Bias (HAB) – The tendency to assume hostile intentions in another person where they may not exist.
- Emotional Intelligence – recognizing and managing emotions in ourselves and others.
- Forgiveness – letting go of an issue and the hurt it has caused.
The Ophelia Project and similar programs work to turn research into practice and provide support and resources for kids dealing with relational aggression and other types of non-physical violence. For more information, please visit the Ophelia Project website.
You may also be interested in Dealing With Teen Drama or Relational Aggression and Teens.
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