Teen Girls Resorting to Violence to Resolve Problems

By Leslie Davis

When it comes to teen violence, it's not just boys who are throwing the punches. A new report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) found that nearly 27 percent of girls ages 12 to 17 were participants in serious violence in the past year.

"In the public mind, acts of teenage violence are most commonly associated with boys," read the report. "It is clear that the problem is pervasive among girls as well."

The report looked at data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health and found out some surprising statistics about female teen violence:

• 18.6 percent of adolescent girls got into a serious fight at school or work in the past year
• 14.1 percent participated in a group-against-group fight
• 5.7 percent attacked others with the intent to seriously hurt them

"These findings are alarming," said SAMHSA Administrator Pamela S. Hyde, J.D. "We need to do a better job reaching girls at risk and teaching them how to resolve problems without resorting to violence."

The data indicated that girls who are more likely to engage in violence exhibit certain characteristics:

• Adolescent girls who engaged in any of the violent behaviors listed above were more likely to binge drink, smoke marijuana and use other illicit drugs.
• Violence was more common among teen girls not currently enrolled in or attending school.
• Among those girls in school, violence was more common for those with poor grades.
• Violent behaviors were more prevalent among girls in low-income families.

While violence among adolescent girls is a concern, rates of violence among this population have remained steady in the past 10 years, according to SAMHSA. However, the images of violence against females on television and the Internet are becoming more common, indicating to many girls that the behavior is more acceptable.

A study by the Parents Television Council determined that incidents of violence against women on mainstream television increased by 120 percent between 2004 and 2009, with the depiction of teen girls as victims rising by 400 percent. Those numbers far outpaced the 2 percent increase in overall violence that the study found existed during those same years.

Why Girls Are Violent

Both adolescent girls and boys are more likely to perpetrate violence against peers of the same sex than any other victims, according to the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). This type of violence, which can be physical or verbal, is most often done as punishment, revenge or in self-defense.

Consistent with SAMHSA's findings, the OJJDP has identified the following reasons that teen girls engage in violence:

• Girls fight with their peers to gain status, defend their sexual reputation and to defend themselves against sexual harassment.
• Girls are more prone to engaging in violence at home than boys, often to defend against or express anger about sexual or physical abuse. They may also use it as a way to gain some control in the household.
• Girls often fight in school for self-defense, out of a general sense of hopelessness or as a result of teacher labeling.
• Girls in disadvantaged neighborhoods engage in violence as a result of victimization, self-defense, parental inability to counteract negative community influences and lack of opportunities for success.
• Girls who are in gangs are also more likely to be violent, especially if they are in gangs that are primarily male.

Preventing Violence among Girls

While it may not be a growing epidemic, violence among teen girls is not something that should be ignored. Girls who are engaging in violent behaviors are generally incapable of expressing their emotions in a more productive way, and are often dealing with deeper issues that need to be addressed.

Most parents don't want to admit that their daughter is the type to engage in violent behaviors, and may be oblivious to the fact that their daughter is violent. Here are some warning signs that teens may be engaging in violent behaviors:

• Threats of verbal or written violence
• Being a victim of physical, sexual or emotional abuse or neglect
• Witnessing abuse or violence in the home
• Uncontrollable angry outbursts
• Past suicide attempts or threats
• Bullying peers
• Exhibiting delinquent behaviors
• Vandalism or destruction of property
• Diagnosed with depression, psychosis or bipolar disorder
• Preoccupation with violence in the media and online
• Cruelty to animals
• An inability to accept responsibility for their actions
• Sense of entitlement
• Little or no supervision from parents or adult figures
• Social isolation and lack of friends

When it comes to helping girls who engage in violent behaviors, the best method of treatment is therapy with a professional who specializes in adolescents. A therapist can help teens address any conflicts, abuse, depression or other issues that are causing them to act out. Through therapy, teens can better learn to express their anger and frustrations in more productive ways, learn how to control their anger, learn how to have empathy for others and accept responsibility for their actions.

For girls who have a history substance abuse, it may be necessary to get them treatment for their drug or alcohol abuse in addition to their violence. For these girls, the most effective treatment will involve a residential treatment center, private boarding school or wilderness camp for troubled teens. At these facilities, the girls are removed from the situations that are causing them to act out and given time to focus on themselves and their behaviors.