Additional
research shows girls are more likely to bully others subtly, through relational
aggression--manipulating their relationships with other girls online and
off--as opposed to using physical aggression. The same studies also show that
bullying behavior peaks in middle school, when the need for social acceptance
is high, making this a crucial time to help girls learn to prevent bullying.
"Girl
Scouts is about growing girls into leaders, which includes teaching girls to
recognize when something is inhibiting their development, such as relational
bullying," said Anna Maria Chavez, Chief Executive Officer of Girl Scouts
of the USA. "Giving girls the skills, support, and tools they need to
stand up for themselves and others is a key component of leadership. We are
creating a program that, with the guidance of adults, can help girls to make
their world a better place on an issue that is important to them."
As part of a recent
contest, Girl Scouts Speak Out! received PSAs from girls around the country
who had a lot to say about bullying.
The
Washington Post reports that Hannah, a High School freshman, entered the
contest to create an anti-bullying public service announcement Although there’s
no talking in the Hannah’s video, the message is clear.
“When you’re exclusive and mean you don’t make
any friends, in fact you just make enemies,” Hannah wrote in her contest entry.
The
video, called “Cliques”, won first place. The national competition encourages
girls to create videos about important issues. Five finalists were chosen by
online voting, and “Cliques” was among the top five, with more than 5,300
votes. Girl Scout officials picked Hannah’s video as the winner.
“Cliques,”
which was filmed at Hannah’s school, stars 15 of her friends.
The
need to prevent bullying is more important than ever because such behavior can
affect a girl throughout her life. Bullying statistics show that almost 1/3 of
all students ages 12--18 report that they have been bullied at school and 160,000
children miss school each day out of fear of being bullied.
For
more information on BFF and how you can get involved or bring the program to
your area, look
here!