Girls Incorporated would like to shed some light on an important problem facing girls today, bullying. Our June 4th P.A. day will be dedicated to teaching girls how to STAND UP to BULLYING.
Peer relations during middle childhood and adolescence are an important part of social and emotional development. Therefore, it is important for programs to be able to identify peer conflict resolution techniques for children and adolescents.
Peer conflict refers to mutual disagreement or hostility between peers or peer groups. It is characterized as conflict between people of equal or similar power (friends). The conflict is unplanned and does not involve violence or result in serious harm, however it can escalate into violence.
Reasons for peer conflict differ by age. In elementary aged children it usually relates to possession and use of objects, negative interactions with peers, jealousy and exclusion from groups. In adolescents conflict arises from jealousy, exclusion from groups, intrusive behavior like stealing or intimidation, stereotyping and cliques.
Peer conflict differs by gender. Girls are more likely to have issues like telling secrets or not being invited to a party and instead of lashing out physically like boys they tend to show more relational aggression through social exclusion and spreading rumors. Because girls engage in more relational than physical aggression they are often better at hiding it from adults and are less likely to be given consequences for this behavior.
This P.A. day program provides girls aged 7-13 with an opportunity to identify bullying, positive solutions and how to avoid being a bully.