Helping girls cope with frustration
Girls might not throw as many punches as boys, but they can still sting their opponents.
Spreading rumours, throwing insults and excluding others are some of the ways girls express frustration and anger differently than boys, the facilitator for Girls Only Group workshop said. "We help them to deal with negative behaviours in their life, and that they're exhibiting; help them problem solve, cope with anger," said Nikki Vandenberk of Niagara Child and Youth Services. "Overall, the goal of the group is to help them assert themselves in a positive way. "
The Girls Only Group, for those aged eight to 12, is one of three workshops the agency is offering for young people beginning Sept. 29. Workshops on anger management and self-esteem and social relationship building are for boys and girls. The Girls Only Group is kind of like a friendship club for girls so they know they're not alone, Vandenberk said.
One of the trends for girls is cyber-bullying on Facebook and MSN. Vandenberk said gossip and rumours are spread different ways now, but teaching skills on how to cope haven't changed.
Vandenberk said girls tend to open up more in a girls-only environment.
"A lot of parents say, 'I didn't think this would be beneficial because it's such a short time frame, but I can't believe the difference'," she said. The 1 1 /2 hour workshops run over five weeks and are held evenings.
The anger-management and self-esteem and social-relationship building workshops are made up of six to 10 children, and are broken into age groups of four to seven, eight to 12 and 13 to 15.
Vandenberk said anger-management can benefit most children, but is geared to those with angry outbursts. The workshop focuses on positive conflict resolution with fun-filled activities revolving around games and crafts so they don't realize they're learning. "We keep them very energized and motivated," Vandenberk said.
The same method is used to address self-esteem issues for children who are shy, timid and have difficulty making and keeping friends. The workshops help them get along with peers, have successful friendships and handle difficult times by building self-esteem. They learn how to recognize their talents and strengths.
Karena Walter
19 September 2009
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