Global Alliance for Preventing Relational Aggression

We're all in this life together, and it's hard enough without . This is an extreme, overt example of it. Women and girls are constantly bombarded with with messages about body image - what's OK and what's not. When someone takes to social media, especially by posting pictures, it becomes . Talk to your kids about the possibility of this happening in any locker room and the emotional, social, and legal repercussions to all involved. Let them know, though, that creating a campaign to bully the bully is equally inappropriate.

A Model Posted a Photo of a Naked Woman in the Gym Locker Room to Mock Her Body

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Raising girls who are “includers” instead of “mean girls” I remember walking into the cafeteria of my new school and it was like someone punched me in the stomach. I was in sixth grade. My family had just moved from Virginia to Ohio. At first, I attend…

Many parents strive to raise their daughters to be leaders -- and their sons to be supportive of women in leadership roles -- but a new Harvard study has found that biases against girls and women in leadership are more deeply ingrained than expected. Richard Weissbourd, the psychologist who runs Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Making Caring Common Project (MCC), says he was “surprised by the extent of it... how gendered both the boys’ and the girls’ responses were.” Fortunately, he adds, "parents and teachers can do a great deal to stem these biases and help children manage them.”

Wiessbourd explains that the study on bias emerged from MCC's research on teaching empathy and kindness to kids and teens: "We were concerned that biases get in the way of people caring about and respecting other people, so our initial study was just looking at biases. And one of the striking findings that emerged was gender bias.” The study found that 23% of girls and 40% of boys preferred male political leaders -- and that this applies all the way from student council to Congress. In fact, further survey questions revealed that students were most likely to support granting a student council more power if white boys were in charge and least likely if it was run by white girls. These results held true for adult participants as well, indicating that even parents had more trust in student councils run by boys than girls.

Of course, such disturbing results raise that question of what we can do to help prevent the emergence of such gender bias in children. In an excellent piece in The Washington Post, the MCC staff offer parents and educators five ways they can address this issue with kids. Checking your own bias is a good beginning: even simple things like saying “police officer” instead of “policeman” and avoiding sentences that use phrases like “all girls” or “all boys” can help. At home, you can create a “bias-free” zone by ensuring that tasks are divided equally and by discussing gender and stereotypes openly. Addressing stereotyping head-on will help children identify them on their own; soon, it’ll be your kids who are pointing out that there don’t seem to be any female mechanics on TV or that nearly all of the animal characters in picture books are male.

When talking to boys, it’s important not to excuse inappropriate language or behavior; sons and male students need to know that “boys will be boys” is never an acceptable response for demeaning behavior toward girls. At the same time, encouraging boys to express their whole selves -- including their emotional, artistic, or nurturing sides -- will help them feel confident when they stand up against poor behavior from their peers. Along the same lines, when teaching girls, make sure they have opportunities to lead and to practice leadership skills like public speaking and decision-making. Giving girls the confidence to take a leadership role means they’re more likely to do so when a possibility interests them.

To read all of MCC's tips for raising girls to lead and fighting gender bias on The Washington Post, visit http://wapo.st/1gj4tdZ

Richard Weissbourd is the author of the highly recommended parenting book "The Parents We Mean To Be: How Well-Intentioned Adults Undermine Children's Moral and Emotional Development" at http://www.amightygirl.com/the-parents-we-mean-to-be

For a fantastic new release for parents on how to raise kids who are less constrained by gender stereotypes, check out "Parenting Beyond Pink and Blue" at http://www.amightygirl.com/parenting-beyond-pink-and-blue

For books for children and teens about girls and women who challenged the gender stereotypes that tried to hold them back, visit our "Gender Discrimination" section at http://www.amightygirl.com/books/social-issues/prejudice-discrimination?cat=69

And, to inspire your kids with stories that show girls and women leading the way, visit our "Initiative & Leadership" section at http://www.amightygirl.com/books/personal-development/values?cat=322

Disturbing new research on girls and an important message from Rachel Simmons to break away from gender biases...

Harvard Study Reveals Shocking Reason Why Girls Aren't Learning to be Leaders For the last few decades, women have been breaking professional barriers. But a new report by Harvard’s Educational School reveals there’s a hidden barrier teen girls are running up against. “Girls are facing biases from many sources, from teen boys, from some parents, and they are facing biases...

What girls need...

A Powerful New Tool for Girls’ Courage & Confidence I’ve been a runner for over 20 years. Here’s a confession: for most of that time, when I struggled on a course I’d say terrible things to myself.

....And we wonder why our girls employ relational aggression.

“This is the single best Ask Amy response I’ve ever read.”

Gearing up for writing up a new class for preventing relational aggression in high school girls.

Relational Aggression - from the nursery to the nursing home.

Mean Girls in the Retirement Home I couldn’t believe people were shunning my 99-year-old Nanna.

Is your child the Prize? How do you know? Everyone wants to play or hang out with her. She feels overwhelmed by the amount of people who want to "own" her. Others compete to spend time with her. Some try to make her feel guilty for not paying enough attention to them. To help, let your child know that she is not responsible for others' feelings, and her decision to say no when she needs space is a great skill to hone.

Truancy is one potential sign of a child who is the target of bullying.

Pay attention to children who become uncharacteristically quiet, stay home from school, etc. Ask them what’s going on.