Download Video (25 MB) Kids should think twice before picking on
early maturing girls or late maturing boys in their class. A new
study links violent conduct in schools to some students’ timing
in puberty. According to University of Florida researchers,
children who go through puberty at different times then most of
their peers, can react more violently to stressful events.
Previous studies have already shown that those early or late
maturing kids often have more emotional issues than their peers,
but they can also react more aggressively to peer pressure and
stress in general. Julia Graber/UF Psychology Researcher: “The
early maturing girls who also had high rates of peer stress were
the ones who were more aggressive; both in terms of indirect
methods like spreading rumors about other children, or things
like that, and also threats and physical aggression, as well as
late maturing boys. So those off-time boys who were sort of slow
to get started on puberty when they experience peer stress they
really, really