Critical Analysis of Its Just an Eight Grade Girl Thing

"It's Just a Grade 8 Girl Thing: Aggression in Teenage Girls"

Bullying is looked at in two ways, which include a part of growing up for children and teenagers, or as a deviant health problem. In the case of Robin M. Bright, “It’s Just a Grade 8 Girl Thing: Aggression in Teenage Girls,” its both. For almost a year she studied her daughter’s, Caroline, interactions with other girls in her eight grade class. She watched her daughter suffer the consequences of being a girl. She was picked on, teased, had rumors spread about her, called names, and ignored. These actions are considered bullying because in this case two girls were trying to seek dominance and power over another person by threatening and bringing harm to the other person. Even though this study shows potential bias, because it is a Mother studying her daughter, it is still important to acknowledge girl on girl bullying.
Rachel Simmons, author of the book Odd Girl Out, who is cited in the article says, “The middle school years are what many call the epicenter of the crisis of female adolescence” (Bright 93). For generations teenage girls have ripped each other apart. When comparing boys and girls, Dorothy Seals et al. believes that boys use more physical bullying and more apparent bullying, but bullying among girls is ignored because girls use more covert ways of bullying through rumors, gossip, teasing, and ignoring. These actions rip teenage girls apart and stay with them until they are much older. Mothers compete with mothers and watch their daughters “secretly” ostracize each other. There are three types of aggression that are used in this text which are relational aggression, which, “Is the act of ignoring someone to punish them, excluding someone socially for revenge, using negative body language or facial expressions and sabatoging someone else’s relationship” (Bright 93). The other types of bullying are indirect aggression, which, “Includes using others to inflict pain by having them pass notes to a person or by spreading rumors about a person” and finally, there is social aggression, which is used to, “Diminish the target’s self-esteem or her social status, often through social exclusion or rumour spreading” (Bright 93). It is important to understand these three types of bullying before being able to analyze female adolescent behavior.
Once in the sixth grade, according to Joan Ryan, author of “Why Girls are Bullies?” girls start to learn there is a social standard they are suppose to follow. This social standard is to maintain a “good girl” image and suppress sex, hunger, and aggression. Unfortunately, their feelings come out in other ways and it is shown in Bright’s article. Two girls, Jennifer and Rebecca, tortured Caroline. They would whisper in people’s ears and then they would walk past her and call her a whore. The two girls began to single her out and call her names. Apparently, according to their parents, they were jealous that Caroline was placed on the same soccer team as a boy they liked. Caroline had no decision in this. They continued to torture her and go up to people and say things like, “you’re zapped,” which meant that that person being zapped wanted to suck on Caroline’s boobs. This is completely inappropriate for thirteen-year-olds, but it happens. By saying “you’re zapped,” the teachers were never able to catch on to what was happening. Therefore, the teachers thought there were no problems with the girls.
This helped the girls keep up their “good girl” image. When the situation was brought to the principals attention, the principal said he would watch closely. The problem is that in the cafeteria, and when teachers were noticeably watching, the two girls would put their arm around Caroline, smile, and speak to her. This made things even more difficult because teachers had no proof.
Finally, there was one last attempt to bring Caroline to justice and it was by talking to the homeroom teacher. The homeroom teacher took it the wrong way, but did mention one thing, she said, “How much of this is just a Grade 8 girl thing?” (Bright 97). While Caroline’s parents viewed this behavior as unhealthy, wrong, and deviant, the teacher tried to normalize the situation. Some people think it is simply a part of growing up for girls. In Cedric Cullingford’s et al. study, it was found that students that are not victimized or are but grow up fine believe bullying is normal and just a part of growing up. One male that was quoted said, “Just normal school life…Just names being called or something like that, at break…just childish, when you’re in school, you’re childish and all that aren’t you” (Cullingford 551). Even though this is a boy stating this, most bullying is viewed as a part of growing up that cannot be avoided.
Included in this article, are the negative consequences female bullying has. It alienates one person from the whole class, especially if the class is smaller. These three girls had been friends since the first grade, but their friendship was torn apart, by the “social norm” of bullying. There are a few different outcomes for victims of female covert operations. The first is ignoring. This is very difficult if the bullying is persistent in which most cases it is. In most cases, bullying lowers a girls self-esteem, and causes her to suffer from anxiety and depression. Xin Ma found that bullies do not single out people because of their weight, grades, color of hair, type of dress, or whether or not the person wears glasses. This holds true for Caroline and so many other girls. Caroline was a “normal” girl, who was athletic and smart. Bullies pick on someone that is not going to retaliate or stand up for themselves. Caroline never once retaliated therefore it was easy for the girls to pick on her. Because of this, Caroline did not know what she did wrong and her self-esteem was lowered. Other outcomes, besides lower self-esteem are transferring schools, suicide, and retaliation. Caroline transferred schools, where no one knew who she was and was able to regain her confidence because no one picked on her.
Ignoring, depression, and transferring are the least harmful outcomes. Suicide has become a growing problem in adolescents and teens who are constantly ridiculed and isolated. Isolation is the most harmful part of bullying. Victims feel that there is no other way out, and since they have no one to turn to they end their lives. One final outcome is violence. Shootings have been on the increase in high schools. The tragic event at Columbine is just one example. These boys said they had been ridiculed and isolated. They only had each other and going on a killing spree was their way to get back at everyone. These boys had hate journals and wrote about how they hated everything and everyone. Unfortunately people’s lives were ended and then the two boys committed suicide.
These negative consequences can be prevented. When children first start primary school they can be taught about why bullying is wrong, be made aware of these negative situations, and help those who are victims of these situations. Unfortunately, anti-bullying programs have not been implemented in all schools and most students are scared to associate with victims, because they fear being singled out as well. Bullying in boys and girls must be recognized and stopped in order to have children grow up into healthy adults with high-selfesteem.

Bright, Robin M. 2005. “It’s just a Grade 8 Girl Thing: Aggression in Teenage Girls.”
Gender and Education 17:1. pp.93-101.

Cullingford, Cedric, and Jenny Morrison. 1995. “Bullying as a Formative Influence: The
Relationship between the Experience of School and Criminality.” British
Educational Research Journal 21:5. pp. 547-560.