Peer Relations, Pro-social Behavior and Gender from Elementary School to College in Colombia

The purpose of this research was to establish the existence of gender differences in peers relationships and their relationship to prosocial and antisocial behavior at elementary, secondary and universitary education. Participants were 464 children and young people from primary school (n = 140), high school (n = 200) and university (n = 124) from different public and private educational institutions in the city of Valledupar (Colombia). The information about the peers relationship and prosocial and antisocial behavior were collected through peer nominations. We found that female tends to be more popular, whereas the male gender seems to be more rejected and excluded. Moderate correlations were found between prosocial and antisocial behavior and social preference and social impact. It was also found that women are more prosocial and have greater social preference in elementary, but the trend changes at the university, where men have a higher social preference and are more prosocial.