Gossip, Rumors, and Social Exclusion

Synonyms

Disguised aggression; Indirect aggression

Definition

Forms of social and verbal aggression

Introduction

Folk wisdom suggests that women engage in gossip and spreading of rumors more than men do. The evidence however is unclear, with adolescence being the only stage of life when females seem most likely to engage in gossip and spreading of rumors more than males (Archer 2004). However, the extreme consequence of gossip and spreading of rumors is social exclusion. Theory and evidence suggest that girls and women may employ social exclusion of unrelated same-sex peers more than boys and men do (Benenson 2013).

The Functions of Gossip and Rumors

Gossip and spreading of rumors constitute an aggressive strategy that allows the perpetrator to manipulate the reputation, status, and relationships of a target. Because innuendo is frequently utilized, gossip and spreading of rumors constitute a powerful form of aggression unconstrained by objective evidence. Further, because the target...