Most anger-related conflicts elicited coping responses that were nonaggressive. Older preschoolers were better then younger ones at defending themselves successfully without resorting to aggression. Between 4th and 9th grade, boys continued to show aggression in the form of direct confrontations and physical attacks. Youngsters of both sexes reported fewer and fewer conflicts with members of the opposite sex as they got older. Children who were the most aggressive in 4th grade tended to continue to be the most aggressive.
Aggressive children have difficulty reading social cues in the environment.
The studies that reveal this fact come from videotaped episodes in which one child is harmed or provoked by a peer whose intentions are unclear. In these situations, aggressive children are much more likely to attribute hostile or malicious motives to the provoker. When cues are provided to suggest that the provoker's intentions were not hostile, aggressive children have more difficulty understanding and using these cues. These children do not view the world in the same way most children. Instrumental aggression is when a child goes for the ball that someone else is holding.