Sarah is a popular teenage girl who has just been made captain of the cheerleading squad. She is very socially adept, and notices that Britney, her social rival, is starting to enjoy more attention from their peers than Sarah receives. Jealous, she decides to start a rumor about Britney that she knows will cause many people to stop liking Britney. Sarah's behavior is best described as an example of what?

relational aggression.                                    

Explanation:

Relational aggression: In psychology, the term "relational aggression" is also referred to as "alternative aggression" and is described as one of the different types of aggression wherein harm is being caused as a consequence of damaging another person's social or relationships status. Therefore, relational aggression can be used in a variety of context including distinct age groups and is mostly found in adolescents.

In the question above, the given statement represents relational aggression.