A little over a year ago, CBS news reported a story YouTube videos of girls fighting. The video showed two teenage girls in a violent fist fight while two adults stood by and watched. The two adults who watched and didn’t attempt to stop the fight have been charged with felony counts of cruelty to a juvenile. Similar videos of girl against girl in violent fights were found on YouTube and Facebook. Many showed that the bystanders who encouraged the fights were both boys and girls. Just recently, three teenage girls in Pennsylvania have been charged with aggravated assault and other crimes because of a recorded video that was posted on Facebook. The three girls got into a fight on March 2, 2011 and left the victim with a concussion. The two girls who were 13 and 15 years of age blamed the 14 years old victim. Fortunately, the recording of the video did help investigators determine who started the fight.
Digital Nation showed how the use of technology has become so common for our world and has influenced all ages. It’s very common today for a teen to have a cell phone so they can make phone calls to whoever they need to contact. They have access the Internet at home so they can research for school projects. Whatever reasons it is, we all know, personally by using it that the Internet has it positives and negatives. It does make our lives simpler; however there is no limit or control of the content. Unless the parents block the bad websites, the children will have all access to them.
These videos are showing that girls are taking their anger out with relational aggression where they harm others by damaging, threatening to damage, or manipulating someone’s relationship with their peers, as well as, hurting someone’s feelings of social acceptance. They’ll spread rumors or become angry and give the other the silent treatment. This type of aggression is seen more among girls whom are more distressed by these behaviors than boys.
Videos of girls punching, kicking, slurring, and pulling hair is not entertainment; however, they do exist. A lot of these reality shows are written to have dramas among the girls to fuel the viewers and juice things up. Good examples of this are “Bad Girls Club” that is broadcast on Oxygen and MTV’s “Jersey’s Shore”. Both of these are full of backstabbing, gossiping, retaliating, and so forth. Many of the content are nonsense with no moral or purpose.
The exposure of girl violence on the Internet and television shows has increased, and is something that is out of our control. This presentation of violence can influence viewers to engage or participate in similar situations. It could encourage girls to use violence to solve their problems instead seeking nonviolent alternatives. The things they view and watch as children will determine how they act in the real world. I overheard my 3 years old niece say something with an attitude and I asked her who taught her to talk like that. She said she learned it from watching “Hannah Montana” from the Disney channel.
References:
Dretzin, R. (Producer). (2010). Digital Nation. [Motion picture]. United States: Frontline.
Katz, N. (2010). Girl Fights Go Online: CBS News Reports on Disturbing 8-Million YouTube Hit Phenomenon. Retrieved from http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-6165981-504083.html
Leff, S. S., Waasdorp, T., Paskewich, B., Gullan, R., Jawad, A. F., MacEvoy, J., & ... Power, T. J. (2010). The Preventing Relational Aggression in Schools Everyday Program: A Preliminary Evaluation of Acceptability and Impact. School Psychology Review, 39(4), 569-587. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
N.A. (2006). What is Relational Aggression?. Retrieved from http://www.opheliaproject.org/main/ra_about3.html
