Boarding Schools for Girls

In her research into relational aggression among adolescent girls, Dianna Murray-Close, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Vermont, has discovered that the prevalence of this behavior peaks during middle childhood, and can cause significant social and emotional damage to girls who are involved.

According to an Oct. 7 article on the UVM website, Murray-Close hopes that her studies can lead to techniques that can significantly improve the lives of young girls:

In an article in the International Journal of Psychophysiology, Murray-Close used results of tests she conducted on heart rate assessment, blood pressure and sympathetic nerve system activity among 5th graders to show that heightened cardiac reactivity to provocation is associated with relational forms of aggression among girls.

She's convinced that if girls can control their reactions at the point of increased cardiac activity, they can prevent committing acts of relational aggression.

"We have girls re-live a stressor and measure how their body reacts," she says. "One of the arguments here is that if you are someone who gets very physically worked up, this may be apre -disposition to then respond to aggression. Ultimately, I'd like to develop some coping skills for girls. There's been a lot of research on physical aggression, especially among boys, but not much on what to do about relational aggression. You'd like to think your research will ultimately help children."

Labels: aggression, adolescents, research

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In an article that appeared in the Sept. 30 edition of the Chicago Tribune, Joanna Broder explored the risk of violence and depression among girls and women in Illinois:

A report released earlier this month found that many girls in Chicago and Illinois "face serious violence in their lives," including physical and sexual abuse, threats and injury in school, and assault on the streets.

The report, "Status of Girls in Illinois," notes that 10.7 percent of girls in Chicago's high schools skipped school in 2007 because of safety concerns -- nearly double the national average of 5.6 percent -- and that "many girls also report a pervasive feeling of threat and lack of security."

The report pulls together existing survey data about girls in Chicago and Illinois and makes recommendations about a variety of development, health and wellness issues such as access to health care, mental and emotional health, sexuality, safety and substance abuse.

It also found that depression and other forms of mental illness pose a serious health issue for area girls.

Labels: violence, depression, research

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A Czech study involving 82 teen girls has revealed an association between low-dose oral contraceptives and abnormally low levels of bone growth and density. The study was led by Dr. Jan Stepan of Charles University in Prague.

A Sept. 14 article by MedPage Today Senior Editor John Gever provided the following details about the study and its possible ramifications:

• In a randomized, crossover trial, bone mineral density (BMD) failed to increase in girls 15 to 19 years old who took pills with a low dose (15 micrograms) of ethinyl estradiol for nine months.
• Bone density increased normally in participants taking pills with a high dose (30 micrograms) of ethinyl estradiol.
• In a presentation at the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research, Dr. Stepan said that based on these findings, girls who need oral contraceptives "could be counseled toward preparations with higher estrogen levels."
  

Labels: health, teenagers, birth-control, research

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Women eat less when they dine with men but not when they are eating in female groups, according to a new study from Canada's McMaster University.

• Dr. Meredith Young said women in her study tended to choose foods with lower calories when they ate in mixed gender groups or when they ate with men.
• The more men in the group, the fewer the calories the women ate.
• However, in all-female groups, women consumed higher calorie foods.

The results of the study may indicate that many women continue to suffer from poor self-image or remain beholden to unrealistic (and unhealthy) standards of beauty.

"Smaller healthier portions are seen as more feminine, and women may believe that if they eat less they will be considered more attractive to men," Dr. Young said in an article in the journal Appetite.

Labels: self-esteem, research

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A new study from the University of Georgia found that gender and age differences matter when teenagers size up their peers.

Dr. Daniel Pine and his colleagues used magnetic resonance technology to watch the brain activities of 34 healthy young people ages nine to 17 years old. The participants rated their interest in communicating with teenagers based on how their faces appeared on computer screens. Then they were asked to appraise the same faces two weeks later.

Older females in the study showed more brain activity than younger ones did in the parts of the brain that process social emotion. Older males' reactions were not that much different than those of younger males.

This study appears in the journal Child Development.

Labels: research, brain-chemistry

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