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ERIC Number: EJ811033
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2008-Aug-15
Pages: 7
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0009-4056
EISSN: N/A
Girl-to-Girl Violence: The Voice of the Victims
Boyer, Wanda
Childhood Education, v84 n6 p344 Aug 2008
School violence is not gender-exclusive to boys; girls are also capable of violence. Research shows that girl-to-girl violence stems from competition for male attention and tends to be relational in nature, which typically takes the form of social alienation, spreading of rumors, and otherwise manipulating the victim's peer group. By proactively examining when--and under what conditions--various forms of aggression emerge in girl-to-girl violence, and by exploring the effects of the violence on victims, this article seeks to sensitize pre-adolescent girls, families, teachers, counselors, and administrators about girl-to-girl violence prevention and cessation. Some prior literature on girls and boys who are victims has included classification of victims and the negative effects of victimization. However, it is telling that most of the prior literature on girl-to-girl violence is based on the perspective of the perpetrator. The purpose of this article is to sensitively examine the point of view of the primary and secondary victims, rather than "relegate them to the realms of subjectivism." Although pre-adolescent girls with a strong sense of personal identity, self-worth, and a respect for others typically do not engage in violent behavior, the question is whether they become victims of school violence. What is the trajectory of victimization in girl-to-girl violence for both primary and secondary victims? To better frame a context for answering these questions, the author examined a case of victimization that began in pre-adolescence and extended over the course of the primary victim's grade 7 school year. It was only in grade 9, at the age of 14, that she felt able to discuss her perceptions of what happened to her. The author also obtained the perceptions of her family members as secondary victims. (Contains 1 table.)
Association for Childhood Education International. 17904 Georgia Avenue Suite 215, Olney, MD 20832. Tel: 800-423-3563; Tel: 301-570-2111; Fax: 301-570-2212; e-mail: headquarters@acei.org; Web site: http://www.acei.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Grade 7; Grade 9; Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Canada
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A