Girls and Bullying

When I was a kid, I remember bullying happening primarily on the playground or in our neighborhood after school. And with boys doing most of the bullying, it was rare to see one of our female peers pushing someone else around. But into today’s social media driven world of childhood and adolescence, the tables have turned. New research from Rutgers University reports that girls are more often bullied than boys, and that females are more negatively affected by bullying. The researchers are concerned because bullying is associated with depressive symptoms, suicidal ideation, suicide planning, and suicide attempts. While bullying behavior is wrong in all cases, parents should be aware of this new research on bullying and our girls. Teach your girls to conduct themselves online and offline in a Christlike manner. And, be sure to talk with your girls about the kinds of interactions they are encountering online. We must build each other up rather than tearing each other down.