FAQ About PsychoEd (8)

What types of problems do girls with emotional and behavioral problems present?

Girls generally present more "internalizing" behaviors than boys, meaning they show greater rates of depression and anxiety than boys, along with poor self-esteem, risk-taking, self-punitive behaviors (including "cutting" and sexual acting-out), and eating disorders.  Of course, girls may also act aggressively, and recently we have seen an increase in "girl gangs."  As differences between male and female roles diminish, we will likely see girls exhibiting more violent behavior. 

Girls with Problems

There has been a dramatic increase in the number of girls with significant behavior problems. Did you know . . .  

· Five percent of girls bring weapons to school?
· Twenty-five percent of youthful arrests are of girls?
· Thirty percent of school suspensions are of girls?
· Five percent of juvenile gang members are female?
· Five percent of teenage girls report chronic and excessive drinking?
· Fifteen percent of tenth grade girls make suicidal gestures each year?