Female Bullying in Schools

Bullying Hurts

According to the National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center, 30 percent of kids in the United States are involved in some form of bullying. When people think of bullying in school, they imagine male victims being beat down or pushed around by other boys. But bullying does not always involve males or violence. Females do their fair share of bullying too; they just carry out the behavior more subtly than boys.

Tactics

Although some girls use violence when they bully, according to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, female bullying is more likely to be verbal, usually with another girl as the target. Girls who bully form cliques and intentionally exclude certain girls. Female bullies gossip, humiliate, ignore, taunt, name call, spread rumors, tease and invoke others to use violence on their victims. Girl bullies may also send their victims harassing e-mails, text messages and post lies on social sites.

Reasons

Girls who bully enjoy the feeling of dominance, so they use bullying as a way to gain popularity and power. Female bullies pick on people who are different in some way. Bully victims may be over or underweight, be of a different race or religion, come from a different family structure or financial background or have a mental or physical disability. Sometimes girls will bully other girls simply because they’re envious of them.

Effects

Bullying can take a toll on a girl’s self-esteem because it makes her feel worthless, depressed, alienated, insecure and socially isolated. Girls who are ridiculed about their weight may have body image issues that can lead to eating disorders. Extreme cases of female bullying can lead to thoughts of suicide. Even after bullying has stopped the self-esteem issues and feelings of depression can carry over into adulthood.

Signs

Female bully victims may have frequent headaches, stomach aches, missing belongings and trouble sleeping. A child who is bullied may also have anxiety, be afraid to go to school, feign illness to avoid school, skip school, and get bad grades.

Considerations

Victims of bulling may not seek help or stand up for themselves because they are afraid, feel helpless or simply don’t know where to turn. This is why it’s important for parents to openly communicate with kids and pay attention to the warning signs of bullying.

References

• National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center
• Girlshealth.gov
• National Mental Health Information Center
• American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

Resources

• American School Counselor Association