Girls bully girls in verbal and nonverbal ways, often in groups, to gain power or fight insecurity. Verbal attacks, cyberbullying, and threats are common tactics used, leading to ostracism and harm to the victim’s self-esteem.
Although much of the research and statistics on bullying focus on the ways boys bully each other, girls bully girls too, and their methods can be just as harmful, if not more, than the methods used usually by boys. Unlike boys, who tend to be more physical in their bullying, girls often bully girls in verbal and nonverbal ways that can lead to a girl being ostracized, alienated, threatened, or otherwise harassed. Girls tend to bully in groups, and their motivations generally center around gaining a sense of power or fighting insecurity. Adults are much slower to recognize when girls bully girls and quicker to recognize boys bullying each other because the methods used by girls tend to be sober and quiet.
Harassment through verbal attacks, pranks, phone calls, and more recently, cyber attacks such as emails, text messages, and social networking are all common tactics used when girls bully girls. Verbal harassment is the most common; insults and teasing often occur, and usually several girls gang up on one or two specific girls. Verbal abuse can happen directly to the bullied girl, or it can happen behind her back. Such verbal abuse often leads the victim to ostracism; girls will ignore the victim or otherwise stay away from her to communicate contempt.
Cyberbullying has become one of the most common ways girls bully girls. Text messages and emails can be sent to the victim, threatening or verbally abusing her. The intent is to confuse, frighten or intimidate the victim through any means of communication. Cyberbullying could be considered an extension of verbal bullying, especially considering that the traditional form of communication, other than face-to-face communication, has been telephone conversations. Girls often call the victim and verbally abuse them or simply confuse and anger them by hanging up and calling again, then hanging up. The cycle becomes frustrating and even frightening for the victim.
Threats are a common way girls bully girls without being tactically obvious. A girl may threaten the victim with withdrawing her friendship, or she may threaten the victim with spreading a rumor or secret. In many cases, a girl may threaten the victim with physical violence, but more often the punishment is cerebral rather than physical. Victims may show signs of depression or anxiety when they are bullied, and the victim’s self-esteem – not to mention her grades – may suffer as a result of the bullying.
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