from Sydney Morning Herald.

VIOLENCE by females is on the rise, prompting one school to introduce a program to teach teenage girls about the consequences of bullying.

Latest research, which shows an increase in the number of violent incidents involving girls, comes a week after a Newcastle mother was sentenced to 50 hours’ community service when she was caught on video encouraging her 14-year-old daughter to fight another girl.

The mother yelled ‘‘break her nose’’ after driving her daughter to a park to confront the other girl.

The mother yelled ‘‘break her nose’’ after driving her daughter to a park to confront the other girl

Magistrate Jacki Tradd said pre-arranged fights between schoolchildren were becoming ‘‘all too common’’ and said the mother in this case had become the real bully.

Burwood GP Ramesh Manocha, founded Generation Next to educate parents about the issues facing young children. He said: ‘‘What we are seeing is that behaviour problems are increasing in adolescent girls at a more rapid rate. Our research shows that the No. 1 concern for parents is bullying.’’

In 2006, police in Victoria were called to more than 3500 family violence incidents in which children were the perpetrators. One in three involved girls, mostly aged 12 to 17.

Police also revealed that attacks by boys against their parents rose 19 per cent between 2003 and 2007, but attacks perpetrated by teenage girls grew 30 per cent in the same period.

Psychologist Eddie Gallagher, a specialist in family violence, said: ‘‘More girls now have an attitude to violence that is like boys, in that they are proud of their fighting prowess, it is about pride and excitement rather than anger.’’

In a survey of 260 families, Mr Gallagher found a quarter of adolescents who perpetrate domestic violence were girls and the victims are usually their mothers.

Teaching staff at a secondary school in Gippsland, Victoria, were so overwhelmed by the behaviour of a group of year 9 girls they have begun a program to teach them the consequences of their actions.

‘‘[It provided] an opportunity to improve self-esteem, self-care and practical strategies to promote mental health and well-being,’’ program co-ordinator Liz Craig said.

Tags: bullying, girls, school violence