“Regina George is an evil dictator. How do you overthrow an evil dictator? You take away her resources. She would be nothing without her high-status man-candy, technically good physique, and evil band of loyal followers.” ~Janis Ian, Mean Girls

“We have rules about what we wear. You can only wear your hair up (like in a ponytail) once a week. You can’t wear a tank top two days in a row. You can only wear jeans on Friday and that’s also the only time you can wear sneakers. If you break any of these rules, you can’t sit with us at lunch.” Gabrielle, 15

Bullying begins early and changes form throughout childhood and adolescence: girls tend to become increasingly manipulative and damaging as they

age

Almost 60% of cyber victims are female

1/3 of undergraduate students report being stalked over the internet

What have you seen in your What have you seen in your communities?communities?

What have you found to be successful?

Calling somebody else fat won’t make you any skinnier. Calling someone stupid doesn’t make you any smarter. And ruining Regina George’s life definitely didn’t make me any happier. All you can do in life is try to solve the problem in front of you.

Cady, Mean Girls

It is important to empower the victim to confront their aggressor. It is important to empower the victim to confront their aggressor. If If youyou confront their aggressor, this may lead to intensified confront their aggressor, this may lead to intensified

aggression.aggression.

Books

Brizendine, L. (2006). The Female Brain. New York: Broadway.

Evans, N., Forney, D., & Guido-DiBrito, F. (1998). Student Development in College: Theory, Research, and Practice. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Figes, K. (2007). The Big Fat Bitch Book. London: Virago.

Wiseman, R. (2002). Queen Bees & Wannabes. New York: Three Rivers Press

Articles and Websites

Li, Q. (2007). New bottle but old wine: A research of cyberbullying in schools. Computers in Human Behavior, 23, 1777-1791.

Mayeux, L., & Cillessen, A.H.N. (2008). It’s not just being popular, it’s knowing it too: The role of self perceptions of status in the associations between peer status and aggression. Social Development, 17, 4, 871-888.

Puckett, M., Aikins, J.W., Cillessen, A.H.N. (2008). Moderators of the association between relational aggression and perceived popularity. Aggressive Behavior, 34, 563-576.

http://www.treachersandfamilies.com/open/parent/ra1.cfm

Other recommended resources:

FilmMean GirlsThe Breakfast ClubHeathersDrop Dead Gorgeous

Websites Bullying.org -- www.bullying.org American Association of University Women – www.aauw.org Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network – www.glsen.org Riotgrrl.com – www.riotgrrl.com Stalkingvictims.com – www.stalkingvictims.com