Show Notes:
Parents, schools, and girls themselves can learn to stop cyberbullying; here’s how.
Disturbing data on the rise in cyberbullying
Nearly half of teens say they have been cyberbullied, and it’s most prevalent in adolescent girls. Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is repeated or has the potential to be repeated over time.
The different ways cyberbullying can look
The kinds of cyberbullying girls share about with me include: being pushed or blackmailed to send or resend nudes, someone turning a friend group or the whole class against someone, spreading false rumors that alienates someone, or being cancelled by someone who has an issue with them causing the girl to lose her friend group.
What types of girls are vulnerable to becoming targets of cyberbullying
Dr. Jordan discusses why some girls are targeted for cyberbullying including: passive, innocent girls who are sensitive and allow words to hurt; powerful girls who don’t go along with the queen bee, girls who hang out with the boys to stay out of drama creating jealous feelings from the other girls, girls who are different in their looks, interests, dress, ethnicity, family dynamics, LGBTQ kids, etc.
Reasons why girls may cyberbully a peer
Dr. Jordan offers some of the main reasons that girls may cyberbully their peers: as a way to feel powerful and in control; as a way to connect and have a sense of belonging in a group, due to the wiring of the teen brain especially mirror neurons, the effect of being online vs in-person; and because most girls start on phones and social media before they have the maturity and impulse control to handle it effectively
Readiness signs girls need to show that they are ready for social media
Learn some of the signs of readiness socially, emotionally, their level of self-responsibility, and how well girls keep their power. Dr. Jordan discusses some of the awareness and tools girls need to handle and prevent cyberbullying.
What parents and schools can do to prevent cyberbullying
Parents will learn some things they can do to best prepare their daughters to handle drama and cyberbullying. Dr. Jordan also lays out things schools can do to give girls the skills to prevent it and to take charge of their learning environment.
Some links for more info on this subject:
survey about teens and social media
Taking a bite out of online bullying: Dr. Jordan blog
Social Emotional Learning: Dr. Jordan blog
For more in-depth information on girls friendships and emotions, check out his online course, Parenting girls: The challenges girls face today with their feelings and friends and what they need
