>I think back to when I was in grade school. Boys got in
>fights with each other now and again -- your stereotypical
>playground brawls or fistfight after school on the hill -- but
>grudges didn't last a long time and people mostly got along
>without ostracizing anyone.
>
>In subcultures where that kind of mild violence is forbidden,
>people still fight in their ways, but it's with social cruelty
>or some other device instead of fists, and I'm not sure these
>methods inflict less lasting harm or don't encourage
>ultimately larger violence.

This goes with some research I have seen (that I don't have access to anymore). Little girls are actually more violent than little boys toward their peers if you take into account social violence and passive aggression.

If someone has access to PsychInfo, search for Nicki Crick. Here's a little thingie on some of her research: http://cehd.umn.edu/Pubs/ResearchWorks/Crick.html