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Denise Witmer
Denise's Parenting Teens Blog

By Denise Witmer, About.com Guide to Parenting Teens

Girls Fighting YouTube Videos – Are Mean Girls Getting Meaner?

Saturday April 19, 2008
This just makes me sick and I’m sure most other parents are feeling much the same way. Not only are girls fighting, mercilessly beating up on a victims but they are also bringing their camera. So, there is a teen doing the hitting, kicking, etc., and then there is one holding the camera or cell phone to make the video. Talk about a new level of shame for any of the parents.

As if things couldn’t get any worse, since I am always looking for the ray of sunshine to come peaking through the gray clouds, now middle school girls are doing the same thing. I wonder if they saw it on television first? This article seems to suggest that they did.

I think we need to begin to take teaching our teens empathy and tolerance to a new level, since according to this CNN article about teens videotaping a violent event: ‘it's becoming an increasingly common scenario’. We may also want to teach our teens how not to be a victim, perhaps other bullying preventative measures.

What are your thoughts about all of the mean girl violence going on and being videotaped? Are mean girls getting meaner or are they doing it for the attention and the show? Do you think the media and reality television contributed to the aggression these teens are showing to the camera? Share your opinion in the comments area.

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Comments
April 20, 2008 at 1:12 am
(1) Keith says:

Teaching empathy actually starts in the toddler years. If they don’t have empathy by the time they are teens, it is too late.

You teach empathy to a toddler by having them help with caring for others, and, yes, spanking them when they do something bad to another. This way they associate at a deep level bad consequences for bad actions (and also learn what it feels like to be on the receiving end of aggression). Too many parents these days do not do this. Partly because the parents are simply not there. These news stories are the result of that.

April 20, 2008 at 5:38 pm
(2) Tricia says:

It all comes down to teaching our children what is right and wrong. I have a 15 year old daughter and it just made me so sad to see this video and to be honest I looked for one second and shut it down.

These kids see so much on TV. We need to make sure we keep the lines of communication open with our children.

I am a firm believer in Communication.

April 23, 2008 at 2:06 pm
(3) Tina says:

Hmm. I see there are only two comments on this topic. WHERE ARE YOU PARENTS??? I think this is the main question we should be asking? Where are the parents in these teens lives? Stop blaming the media, video games etc. and RAISE YOUR KIDS. Start at birth.

April 24, 2008 at 12:12 pm
(4) John H says:

planning, plotting, and execution of the action isn’t an anger management issue, the girls and the boys should be punished to the fullest extent of the law for a teenager.

June 28, 2009 at 2:16 am
(5) Tracey says:

I think it isnt the parents fault all the time its their kids being too frightened to even tell them anything. Though for the others the parents tell and teach them to use violence or some may even sit there watching television and cant even be bothered and thats what is mainly bothering me so parents if your willing to fight against bullies feel free to do so and stick up for the beautiful child you brought into this world and let your child be happy for once and for all.

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