Teen Girls: Aggravated Assaults Rising by Alarming Numbers
Why girls are becoming so aggressive physically, and turning to drugs and booze is not surprising. First media violence, whether it’s in the form of video games or movies, glorifies the karate kicking, highly competent, physically combative female role model. In one sense, perhaps this is simply a backlash to centuries of male dominance, taken to extremes, by those least able to filter the message. Regardless of the why’s, young girls are being arrested much more frequently for often savage attacks on each other.
ABC aired a program: Mean Girls Gone Really Bad. They report that statistically aggravated assaults have risen 68% from 1987-2003. That’s quite a jump. I recall about 8 years ago, watching in horror news about young girls attacking passengers on busses in San Francisco, California with straight razors, inflicting terrible scarring, and exhibiting no remorse.
ABC quotes a young lady here: “Raisa Lane, now a senior, experienced that sort of aggression firsthand at her Seattle high school when she was a sophomore and suffered a broken nose and bruises at the hands of a female schoolmate. “The girl that I was being harassed by followed me out of the classroom and pushed me down the stairs, and then proceeded to hit me,” Lane said. The girl had been threatening Lane for months, but neither Lane nor her mother took it seriously.”
In King County, Washington, it appears one in five assaults are being committed by young females, under the age of 18. Watch this video, and get a sense of just how brutal some of these attacks truly are. This assault came about during an annual Powder Puff Derby: http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Health/story?id=1713709&page=1&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312.
Homicide arrests are up 64% for these tough little girls. The savagery of some attacks is appalling. April 2005, in a Milton train station, 4 girls kicked, stomped and left a bleeding teen for dead, while being watched by a group of 14 other teens. In June of the same year, girls punched, pulled hair and kicked victims on a bus ride home. Another was sucker punched in the face by a girl because she objected to the skirt she wore.
Risky behaviors with drugs and alcohol are becoming more common among teen girls. Many of these angry teens have no close nor positive role models or confidantes in their lives. Some of them come from homes where there is no empowerment of their feminine identity, leaving them free to seek affirmation on the streets. Many will “jump” into gangs, trying to find some form of protection and identity they so badly need. They usually end up being victims of rape, followed by drug abuse and alcoholism, as coping methods for fleeing from a painful reality.
In some cases, where the usual risk factors such as abuse or alcoholism are not present, the girl is getting the role modelling directly from a “queen bee” type mother. These women are specialists at verbal assaults, and the child grows up with the idea that females are treacherous and therefore worthless. This is especially true if the child herself is often a victim of Mommy’s verbal slashing. Internalizing the hurt, rage and feelings of negative self-esteem, she may seek revenge on other females, thinking better her than me.
All of these things point out a real need for female children to have some form of close and positive mentoring, to help counteract the negative perceptions young females develop so easily. It comes from girls raised in homes where they are loved for who they are, and treated with respect and acceptance. Fathers can play a huge role in reinforcing proper ways to become a strong female, with a deep seated conviction of her own self worth. Without having to resort to extreme behaviors to prove it.
Bottom line is children who are raised in homes where there is love and communication, and strong guidelines for behaviors, generally don’t engage in the sorts of aggressive behaviors being seen lately. Negative behavior is certainly in part societal, but the major portion comes from within the home. Bullying and assault are neither funny nor acceptable. If your child is engaging in these behaviors, it’s time to step in and re-examine your home, and get help. If you don’t, you may find yourself in court right alongside your child, facing charges. If you don’t want your daughter hurting others, take the steps necessary to help her understand that neither you, nor anyone else will tolerate this type of acting out. The first step starts with an apology, publicly to both the child she hurt and school officials. Don’t worry, holding her accountable won’t kill her, in fact it just might save her from killing someone else. She will discover saying “I’m sorry”, is the toughest thing your tough little girl has ever had to do.
