Aggressive Behaviors of Sri Lankan Preschool Children: A Mixed Method Study

Very few studies have explored young children’s aggressive behaviors in collective cultures or in South Asian contexts. The present study reconnoitres in depth; the nature, types, prevalence and antecedents of aggressive behaviors displayed by Sri Lankan preschool children. The study was carried out in two phases using a mixed method; 1. Preschool teacher interviews (N = 23) with teachers from 14 varied preschool contexts in Sri Lanka, and 2. Observations of aggressive behaviors of 16 preschool children displaying prominent overt, and relational aggression from four varied preschool communities selected from a group of 135 children.  Findings of this study make important contributions to aggressive behaviors within Sri Lankan preschool children and discuss them in the back drop of global research findings. Findings also provide new information regarding the manner in which aggression was expressed by the observed group of preschool children, labeled as ‘playful aggressive parodies’ by the author.