Gossiping, spreading rumours, telling lies, attacking someones status, destroying their relationships… The whispers in the playground, the cold shoulder at the party, the secret WhatsApp groups; if such a thing as ‘toxic femininity’ were to exist, then surely it would be this? Much is said and done about the way boys and men hurt each other, and how their dominance of the physical realm allows them to punch, hit and fight one another as a means of aggression. But is all aggression physical? And might women (just as men exploit their physical superiority) harness their mastery of language, their skills of communication and relationship building, to wreak havoc in their own specific way? “Relational aggression”, is the ability to harm others through deliberate manipulation of their social standing and relationships – and yes, it’s mostly women and girls who do it. But like always, society remains reluctant to say anything about the malevolent side of the femme – even to the detriment of girls, who are the primary victim of this kind of bullying. Worse, girls bullying other girls is hyper charged through social media, causing untold harm, and likely drives the recent rise in suicides in adolescent females – yet our social justice warriors are too gutless to talk about it. The simple fact of life is this – women and girls are no better, or worse, than men and boys. No less capable of greatness. No less capable of harm. That is what ‘women’s autonomy’ truly is. We all exercise our unique powers in specific ways, some of which draw the spotlight and ire of society, and some don’t. So what is to be said about the destructive power of words? Will anyone talk about the uniquely devastating ways that girls bully each other, or how women can destroy the life of a man without even lifting a finger? Who will talk of relational aggression? ~ APA  Psychology today  Misogynstic Tweets  Women as innovators of language Images by Raphael Schaller, Patrick Tomasso, Piotr Laskawski, Amal S, Florian Klauer. #psychology #bullying #psychologyfacts

2023-11-29