Educators form club to help combat aggressive behavior among young girls

By Staff Writer

Two teachers at an elementary school in Illinois are attempting to help young girls with peer relationship issues.

According to the Naperville Sun, the educators lead a club that teaches students about how relational aggression can damage lives and how to respond to bullying. The organization, which meets once a week for a half-hour before school, is open to fourth- and fifth-grade girls.

The news provider reports that relational aggression is the most common form of bullying between young females. Behaviors such as exclusion, gossip, taunting and cyberbullying can be traumatic for a young girl and the effects could last a lifetime.

In the club, members participate in role playing exercises, field trips and discussions. The teachers also integrate resources from The Ophelia Project, which is an organization that serves people who are affected by physical and verbal forms of aggression.

A study by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development estimated that 1.7 million U.S. children in grades six through 10 could be identified as bullies. The study found that 10.6 percent of students reported bullying others "sometimes" and 8.8 percent admitted to bullying others "once a week" or more frequently.