When gi

STORIES about girls
beating each other UP,
getting into trouble
with the law and even
killing one another
seem shocking and
unusual to most of us.

After all, girls are sup-
posed to- be mecker and
milder than boys, according
to western cultural norms.

However, a new SFU
study concludes that 10-17
year old boys and girls who
come from a select, high-risk
population (for example, they
have been identified by
schools, parents and commu-
nity health centres as having
severe conduct disorder
symptoms, such as fighting,
being verbally abusive, mug-
ging and vandalising) have
the same levels and types of

HEALTH

§ gel aggressi

aggressive behaviour.

“Our findings are applica-
ble only to girls and boys
who fall into this high risk
population and not the gen-
eral population,” said SFU
associate professor of psy-
chology Marlene Moretti, the
lead investigator in this two-
year study.

She and a group of her
graduate students analyzed
the behaviour of 41 boys and

ive

32 girls who had been admit-
ted to a provincial facility for
treatment of their conduct
disorder.

Some of the findings in
Moretti’s study are:
§ girls who are similar to
boys in their level of aggres-
sion and conduct disorder
suffer from a greater range
and higher instances of asso-
ciated psychiatric disorders,
in particular substance abuse

Sunday, December 26, 1999 — North Shore News - 19

402 West 1st Ava. Vancouver

worerackatiack com

2500 woolridge St. Coquitizin
7225

(up to 80% abuse alcohol);
@ highly aggressive girls tend
to engage in higher levels of
relationship aggression (for
example, telling stories
behind sameane’s back and
setting people up) than boys,
but are just as physically
aggressive;

@ girls who were exposed to
both sexual and physical
abuse : Showed the highest fev-
els of aggressive behaviour,
while boys expased to family
violence engaged in a wide
range of behaviour problems,
including aggression;

@ aggression in girls was sta-
ble and slightly increased
over two years, while in boys,
it slightly decreased,

Moretti said that
researchers and those
involved in providing treat-
ment need to better under-
stand the complex factors
that contribute to develop-
ment of aggression in girls.

“The impact of abure
influences the development
of aggressive strategies in
both boys and _— girls.
However, our study indicates
abuse tends to produce a
more negative view of self in .
girls than boys.”

Sor making our first year such a success.
The Artisan Bake Shoppe Ltd. wishes you
josful bolidays and a Happy New Year.

We will be closed Jan. Ist
until Jan. i Orb.

127 Lonsdale Ave, 990-3530

Holiday Hours:
Christmas Eve 7:00am - 4:00pm
Christmas Day & Boxing Day closed
Dec 28th - 30th 7:00am - 6:30pm
New Years Eve 7 200am - 4:00pm

Employers must create a smoke free working
environment. Effective Jan. 1, 2000:new —
regulation protecting workers from.
second-hand smoke come into effect.
To find out more, cail 1-800-318-7390 or visit us
at www.worksafebc.com.

Drug seminar

‘CONST. Christy Veenstra educates KB-One Martial Arts students about drugs at
the North Vancouver martial arts academy. Veenstra, who trains at the facility, pze-
: sented the seminar for students aged eight to 14.

second-hand
amoke in the
workplace

7”
PAID PARTICIPANTS NEEDED
(Healthy non-smoking adults - Ages 50-80)

CroMedica Prime, a research unit located at Vancouver General

Hospital is currently seeking healthy non-smoking adults between the
. ages of 50 and 80 to participate in various upcoming aging studies.
' Time commitinents will vary and you will be financially compensated

for your involvement: For questions and information regarding these
upcoming studies, please call:

(604) 875-5122 ex. i a