Ok, I'm not trying to diss my own gender but really, 'tend and befriend' nature?? Tend maybe but not befriend ... If you go/have been to a co-ed school you will see the difference between the welcoming of a new boy compared to a new girl.
The guy will be kicking goals on the oval and hanging out with the other guys right away ... The girl on the other hand will undergo intense analysis by the other members of her sex before she may be deemed worthy to join in... When guys fight, they forget about it by the next day but when girls fight... Oh my... Expect tears and rumours and fireworks ... A punch-on is a quicker and more peaceful approach ... Unless a man's ego is attacked, males are very easy to get along with and their relationships with one another are far less complicated and alot more amiable than that of females ... I think twice before I say something to a female friend because it can be interpreted in 150 ways but with guy friends, I go right ahead and say what I want to say... They are usually not offended by my lack of sugar -coating and frank ways...
I'm speaking generally here ... Of course there exceptions but this is from my own observations