Somehow girls have gotten the reputation of being mean. I can think of countless movies in which the girls are portrayed as being mean spirited, jealous, and down right evil to other girls. A new study reveals that this reputation is not justly earned, boys are just as socially aggressive as girls. We already know that girls are becoming more and more physically aggressive with each other.
Boys are as likely as girls to be socially aggressive by doing things such as spreading rumors, gossiping and intentionally excluding others, says a U.S. researcher.
Having lots of boys, I find the study surprising. But researchers said the the belief is so ingrained in parents and educators that most don’t believe the data.
Researchers looked at 148 studies that included almost 74,000 children and teens. [They] said the belief that girls are more likely to be socially aggressive than boys persists among teachers, parents and others because of social expectations that develop early in life, which are fueled by movies and books that depict girls being mean and socially aggressive toward each other.
I’ll admit that none of my boys have had problems with other boys being “mean” to them, at least not more than any single isolated incident. None of my friend’s sons have had issues either. But almost all of my friends with girls report girl bullying.
Gee, MY perceptions come from being an unpopular victim during all of my school years. Both boys and girls bullied, but the girls used the standard “mean girls” routine, while the boys did boy stuff: throw rocks, mud, taunting, ripping out our mailbox, cutting our tires . .
Chris says: Well, yes that is what I remember from back in my school days too. But I was talking now about what I see with my children’s generation and I just don’t see the “mean” boy behavior. I see aggressive boy behavior.
Comment by Brigitte — September 26, 2008 @ 4:45 am
Sorry, that’s what I meant (I think) – the boys in my day were cruel, but not by rumor-spreading, exclusion, etc. They were more overtly aggressive, in “typical” boy fashion.
But despite our actual experiences, the studies claim that the boys are practicing their cruelties in the same fashion as the mean girls. That’s the part that (like you) I just don’t see, and it’s not because of movies and books, like the clueless scientists say, it’s because of our experiences.
Comment by Brigitte — September 27, 2008 @ 6:59 am
Well, I’d like to add that being a mother of 6 girls and 1 very precious little boy, that yes, they can be mean spirited, jealous, and down right evil.
I do have to agree that environment has a lot to do with it to.
Boys, on the other hand, are not like that at all. Of course, what do I know since my son is an angel sent from heaven…lol:)
My girls are a challenge. They are always at each others throat.
Wait…I take that back…they are, as I type, playing a boardgame peacefully.
I better not speak too soon….
Okay…#2 is crying and it was a nice 2 minutes!
kahealani
Comment by Kahealani414 — October 7, 2008 @ 12:32 am