relational aggression
DESCRIPTION
Girl on girl bullyingTRANSCRIPT
Relational Aggression
GIRL-ON-GIRL AGGRESSION
Girls and boys can both be mean but girls internalize it more and ruminate on it
Girls are mean to each other for trivial reasons The effects can be long lasting into adulthoodGirls are good at hiding their aggressive behavior
they know which teachers are tuned inRelational aggression can include cyber bullyingIt is our responsibility to maintain a safe
environmentRelational aggression is COVERT and is everywhere
ODDS AND ENDS
Relational aggression, also known as covert aggression, or covert bullying is a type of aggression in which harm is caused through damage to one’s relationships or social status.
(Wikipedia, 2012)
RELATIONAL AGGRESSION DEFINITION
Relationship Manipulation Subtle and behind one’s back
Social Exclusion Being left out
Reputation Attacking Spreading rumors – especially on-line
Using Demeaning Gestures Rolling eyes and dirty looks
(Fraser-Thill, 2012)
TYPES OF RELATIONAL AGGRESSION
Painful hurt feelingsLow self-esteemUnable to focusLack of motivationIsolationAngerRetribution and revengeSelf injuryPoor academicsTime out of class in guidance or offi ce
EFFECTS
Cultural Causes of BullyingViolence is acceptable (WWF)
Institutional CausesPlace doesn’t have high standards for anti-bullying
Social IssuesRecognition for negative behaviors
Family IssuesDiscipline at home is inconsistent or over the top
The Bully's Personal HistoryPast experience of social rejection or academic failure
Having PowerWant to wield it and show off the power
Provocative Victims
UNDERLYING REASONS ("WHY DO PEOPLE," 2009)
Change in friendsDrop in gradesSad lookLate to classLast one to leave classPreoccupiedChange in appearanceLong sleeves in hot weather (cutting)Weight lossAbsenteeism
SIGNS TO WATCH FOR
Dr. Erin Willer
Dr. Erin Willer In her seminar Helping Girls Cope and Communicate About Social Aggression Dr. Willer presents a three step exercise
Dr. Willer is an assistant professor at the University of Denver
Former high school English and speech teacherResearch focuses on how females manage
social aggression(Willer, 2009)
POSSIBLE RESOLUTIONS
Ask student to recall an incidence of meanness
Give them the opportunity to talk or write about it
Instead of “ruminating” or gut churning about it this gives language to thoughts and emotions
Reflection helps to make sense out of life’s events
STEP ONE – REFLECT ON MEANNESS
Draw a metaphor for the meannessThis puts the focus on the problem and
not the personAn example of a metaphor for love
might be a warm blanketAn example of a metaphor for kindness
might be a cat licking her kittenAn example of meanness might be a
cat scratching the couch when the couch didn’t do anything to the cat
STEP TWO – CREATE METAPHORS
Have the student draw a redemption metaphorFocus on the good that can come out of itNormal to feel bad when girls are mean but try
to find the goodAn example might be moving to a new town is
hard but a new home with a big bedroom would be great
A student example was a drawing of two peas in a pod
Engaging in telling the story and drawing metaphors helps students make sense of the situation
STEP THREE – POSITIVE METAPHOR
This three step process is but one possible course of action
Communication and a sense of connection to others can go a long way in tamping down RA
Be aware that RA is happening in our school, but to see it you have to look for it
CONFLICT RESOLUTION
The Ophelia Project http://www.opheliaproject.org/main/ra_faq.htm
Do Somethinghttp://www.dosomething.org
Why are those girls so mean? http://www.greatschools.org/parenting/bullying/596-why-are- those-girls-so-mean.gs
Inside The School http://www.insidetheschool.com/
A Way Through http://www.awaythrough.com/educators.htm
ON-LINE RESOURCES
Relational Aggression in Girls by Jamie Kupkovits
Mean Girls: 101 1/2 Creative Strategies for Working With Relational Aggression by Kaye Randall, LISW-CP & Allyson A. Bowen, LISW-CP and Susan Bowman
‘’Odd Girl Out’’ by R. Simmons
’Queen Bees and Wannabes’’ by R. Wiseman
SUGGESTED READING
DeBruyn, R. L., & Larson, J. L. (2009). You can handle them all .
(2nd ed.). Manhattan, Ka: The Master Teacher.
Fraser-Thill, R. (2012). Social aggression forms of social
aggression . Retrieved fromhttp://tweenparenting.about.com/od/
behaviordiscipline/a/Social-Aggression.htm
Why do people bully? . (2009). Retrieved from
http://www.bullyingstatistics.org/content/why-do-people-bully.ht
ml
Wikipedia. (2012, August 05). Relational aggression . Retrieved
from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relational_aggression
Willer, E. (2009, October 26). How to help students cope with
girl on girl aggression . Retrieved from
http://www.insidetheschool.com/free-reports/how-to-help-
students-cope-with-girl-on-girl-aggression
(hanging indent intended)
REFERENCES