Adolescent Girl Challenges
Published on Nov 19, 2015
Wafa Hozien seeks to engage schools and families in mitigating the issues that adolescent girls face. #wafaHozien #adolescentgirls #girlsinschools #adolescence #girlchallenges #teenagegirls
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PRESENTATION OUTLINE
Adolescent Girl Challenges
Wafa Hozien, Ph.D.
Wafa Hozien, Ph.D. Seeks ways to engage schools and families with the issues facing adolescent girls today. #WafaHozien #GirlsinSchools #adolescentgirls #girlchallenges #youngadults #girls
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Adolescent Girls Experience
- A diminishing sense of who they are
- And what they can do
This Presentation is based on Mary Pipher's Seminal Work entitled: Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls (1994) NY: Riverhead Publishers.
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This is. . .
- The result of messages
- That they receive from Adults
- The Media, and their Peers
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Girls React
- To these messages by
- Withdrawing and Effacing their Passions
- At a great cost to themselves
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Other Adolescents
- Rebel by engaging in
- Risk taking behaviors such as
- Drug and Alcohol Abuse
- And Sexual Experimentation
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Yet Other Adolescents
- Desperately Seeking to conform
- To Unrealistic Expectations, become
- Anorexic and Bullimic
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Other Adolescents
- Reaching a point of Despair
- Cut or Mutilate their Bodies
- They endure Horrific Experiences
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Veil of Silence
- That Girls assume to protect themselves
- They do not understand that
- Other Girls are Experiencing the SAME Issues
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Statistics
- Compared to Boys Adolescent Girls Experience greater stress
- Are Twice as Likely to be Depressed
- Much more as likely to attempt Suicide
Rothenberg, 1997
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In the United States
- Girls Under 15 are Five Times
- More Likely to give birth
- Than Female Teens in other
- Industrialized Nations
Brumberg, 1998
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Data
- Anorexia Nervosa and Related Eating Disorders
- Reveal 1-4% of girls exhibit Clinical Anorexia Nervosa or bulimia
- A Far Greater Number: experience
- Disordered Eating Habits such as binge eating, extreme dieting,
- Fasting, Laxative Abuse, or Vomiting
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Disturbing Numbers
- 20% of the girls said they had been
- Physically or Sexually Abused
- 23% had experienced Depressive Symptoms
Commonwealth Fund Survey of 3,532 High School Girls and Boys
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Girls Cope
- Speak Out/Assert Oneself
- Known as "Maverick Leader"
- She is the Girl who loudly speaks out
- Competes for Grades and Attention
- Effective in Handling School
The AAUW Educational Foundation issued a report in 1994. This report, Hostile Hallways: The AAUW Survey on Sexual Harassment in America's Schools details the sexual harassment endured by adolescent girls in schools revealing that 8 out of 10 students, mostly female experienced some form of sexual Harassment at school, including spreading rumors and unwanted touching.
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The "Troublemaker" Girl
- Seeks Attention
- By Confronting Authority
- And Breaking Rules
Another report from AAUW (1996) entitled: Girls in the Middle: Working to Succeed in Schools (Cohen and Blanc) examines the ways that middle school girls cope with the difficult challenges of adolescence. This is where the information in the next few slides is from.
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The "Doing School" Girl
- Conforming to what is expected
- This Method Produces
- Schoolgirl who Conforms
- To ALL Expectations
- Is well Behaved
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The "Play Schoolgirl" Girl
- Who Merely feigns compliance
- To get away with other,
- Less Appropriate Behaviors
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The "Cross Borders" Girl
- This is another method of Negotiating School
- Girl can Belong to various groups at school
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"School Girl/ Cool Girl"
- Somewhat Aloof
- Selects Behaviors that will work
- To Her Advantage
Photo by RLHyde
"School Girl/ Cool Girl"
- Somewhat Aloof
- Selects Behaviors that will work
- To Her Advantage
Photo by RLHyde
The "Translator"
- This Girl is able to Discern the need
- For Different Behaviors based on
- Different Settings and can
- Cross Lines of Race and Culture to Succeed
Photo by Ed Yourdon
Orienstien's Schoolgirls
- Studied Three California Schools
- Some girls become Schoolgirls
- Others are labeled "sluts"
- Some Girls Engage in Binging or Cutting
- As ways of dealing with their Anxieties
This is based on Orenstein's Schoolgirls: Young Women, Self Esteem, and the Confidence Gap (1994) She studied three California Middle Schools.
Photo by 徬徨乳酪乾
Major Recommendations for Schools
- Expand Range of Acceptable Behaviors for girls
- Allow Argumentation and Assertion
- Create Mentor Program
- Build Identity Development into Curriculum
- Discuss Gender Issues Openly
From Girls in the Middle (Cohen and Blanc, 1996) This study offers a look at the ways different types of schools address issues of gender.
Photo by Sukanto Debnath
Major Recommendations
- Foster Opportunities for girls to be Leaders
- Create Public Forums to talk about Gender Issues
- Recognize Girls Accomplishments
From Girls in the Middle (Cohen and Blanc, 1996) This study offers a look at the ways different types of schools address issues of gender.
Photo by stevendepolo
Few Schools
- Adopted Programs
- Despite Girls Difficulties
- Some School Programs
- Increase Girls Academic Performance
- But not Developmental Needs of Girls
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Build Discussion
- Based on Gender Identity in the Classroom
- Discuss Girls' Issues in classes and schools
- Infuse Gender Issues into the Curriculum
- Give Girls Positive Role Models
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What Parents Can Do
- Have Ongoing Conversations
- Almost all girls have difficulties with families
- Girls do Some Distancing at this Age This is Normal
- Parents need to LOVE them
- Stay Connected in Important Ways - Infuse Family Time and Talk
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References
- Pipher, Mary. (1994)Reviving Ophelia: Saving teh Selves of Adolescent Girls
- Mead, Margaret. (1971) Coming of Age in Samoa.
- Gilligan, Carol (1982). In a Different Voice
- Friedan, Betty. (1963). The Feminine Mystique.
- Orbach, Susie. (1986) Fat is a Feminist Issue
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