Known for a good gossip session about the girl who never showers in your biology class with your friends? Or maybe you've been the target of gossip in the past and still haven't gotten over the humiliation of it all. Dr. Erika Holiday and Dr. Joan Rosenberg discuss just that in their latest book on female bullying, Mean Girls, Meaner Women. The two did hours of research to find out that mean girls don't just drop the attitude after graduation. In fact, they may never drop it at all. Check out our interview with the docs below to see how bullying starts, and why it happens.

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CosmoGirl: What did you find were the primary causes of bullying in your research?

Dr. Holiday & Dr. Rosenberg (Docs): We found that there are three influences that lead a girl to bullying. They are brain differences between guys and girls (which is why your boyfriend is never fighting with his friends), evolution, and cultural factors like the media and the way you were raised at home.

CG: What is it that makes girls treat other girls so badly?

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Docs: It all comes down to how you handle your emotions. Some girls don't handle their feelings well. When things like envy, competition, and anger aren't dealt with properly girls turn those feelings against themselves or more often than not, someone else.

CG: For girls who may find themselves treating others not so nicely, how do you recommend they stop?

Docs: You have to get in touch with your uncomfortable feelings, especially anger. Manage how you are feeling when something happens and learn to express it in a healthy way. There is nothing healthier than talking things out with someone who is bothering you. The more honest you are without being purposefully offensive, the more authentic relationships you will develop.

CG: Do you think the media is responsible for how girls treat each other?

Docs: Absolutely. Reality shows where girls are constantly pitted against each other show us that it's normal to internalize feelings and treat each other poorly when the exact opposite is true. The media rarely takes anger between girls seriously and instead uses it for entertainment value.

For more information on bullying, visit

Have you been subject to gossip or bullying? How did you deal with it?



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