Addressing Violence among Teenage Girls is a Team Effort
Girls are getting more and more violent with each other, according to a growing number of media sources. Just a few years ago, reported acts of physical aggression between young girls were a rarity – not an increasingly common news headline. But as recently as last week, news sources have been reporting a growing number of violent incidents between young girls, from severe bullying to fatal stabbings. What's going on? Could your daughter be experiencing – or exposed to – violence among her own peer group? How can you find out?
By all indications, violence among girls is reaching record levels and appears to be growing at a faster rate than incidents among boys, and because it's a relatively new social concern, teachers, schools and communities are only just learning how to address the problem. A few psychologists and researchers are suggesting that this trend is related to several factors, most significantly the changing roles of women in modern society – a transition that may be encouraging girls to engage in similarly aggressive, even violent behavior as boys. Coupled with the difficult emotional and physical challenges of puberty and adolescence, this social shift could indeed be triggering this increase in violent incidents.
But how do you find out whether your daughter feels exposed or at risk for physical bullying or aggression from other girls? The first – and most important – step you can take is also the most basic: talk to her. Initiate regular conversations about her school work, classes, friends and social life. Don't force the issue, but use the opportunity to ask her opinion about violence between girls, and ask for her perspective on the issue at her own school. Paying attention to her opinions, thoughts and feelings will encourage her to speak up if she does encounter a problem.
Likewise, establish similar lines of communication with other parents, teachers and school administrators: share your awareness and concern about the issue and ask for their support. Interested and supportive faculty, administrators, parents and responsible students may even be willing to join you in forming a study group or committee to look into the issue within both your school and community and to identify productive steps towards helping girls deal with their emotions and social concerns in a more healthy and constructive manner.
Overall, violence among girls is certainly an issue that you – like all other responsible parents – do need to be aware of. It's also something that a supportive school and community can work to avoid simply by establishing clear, positive lines of communication between students, parents, faculty and even community leaders. In other words, it's a team effort.