From Heathers to Mean Girls: An Examination of Relational Aggression in Film.

Authors

Dawn K. Cecil, University of South Florida St. PetersburgFollow

SelectedWorks Author Profiles:

Dawn Cecil

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2008

ISSN

1070-8286

Abstract

Mean girls are depicted everywhere these days. While the news media started sensationalizing these girls in the 1990s, this type of behavior has been ingrained in popular culture for many years. This study examined film images of teenaged girls using relational aggression in order to show how this social problem is depicted by filmmakers. The images that appear in these films send particular messages about female friendships, girlfighting, femininity, and power. Overall, these films tell viewers that girls will be girls, and it takes an empowered girl to end this type of aggressive behavior.

Language

en_US

Publisher

State University of New York at Albany. School of Criminal Justice

Recommended Citation

Cecil, D. K. (2008). From Heathers to mean girls: An examination of relational aggression in film. Journal of criminal justice and popular culture, 15(3), 262-276.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.