View From the Girls: Exploring Violence and Violent Behaviour

• NCJ Number: 212088
• Author(s): Michele Burman Dr.; Jane Brown Dr.; Kay Tisdall Dr.; Susan Batchelor M.S.
• Date Published: 2000
• Length: 4 pages
• Sale Source: Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC); University of Glasqow
• Publication Format: Document (Online)
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United Kingdom
• Note: Downloaded November 16, 2005.

Annotation

Since traditional beliefs about violence have stemmed primarily from research on boys and young men, this Scottish study focused on the meaning and function of violence in girls' lives based on their experiences, views, and attitudes.

Abstract

The research involved a self-report questionnaire (n=671 girls), small group discussions (18 groups, 89 girls), and individual interviews (n=12 girls). Participants were girls between 13 and 16 years old who were recruited through schools, secure/residential accommodation, youth groups, volunteer organizations, leisure clubs, and out-reach workers. The study found that 98.5 percent of the girls had witnessed some form of interpersonal physical violence. This typically consisted of a fight within the home, neighborhood, school, and on public transportation. Seventy percent of the girls had witnessed five or more such incidents. Nearly two-thirds knew someone who had been a victim of violence that inflicted physical injuries. Forty-one percent of the girls had themselves been deliberately hit, punched, or kicked, and 91 percent reported being targets of verbal abuse and intimidation. Fifty-eight percent of the girls reported being worried about being sexually attacked. Ten percent of the girls described themselves as "violent," and 10 percent reported having committed seven or more types of violent acts (e.g., punching, kicking, and hitting with an object). The girls who reported such violence were more likely to report other types of delinquent behavior, have a higher tolerance toward physical violence in a range of social contexts, mistrust or feel misunderstood by adults, and have lower educational aspirations. This group of girls also reported having the highest levels of being victims of violence themselves. Overall, however, the girls were not prone to resort to physical violence, using instead a number of coping strategies to manage their aggressive feelings without violence and adopting behaviors to avoid potentially violent situations. 1 figure