Problems We've Seen Due to Cliques

There are many instances when members of cliques take things too far, causing others to be extremely emotionally or physically hurt. For example, even though this movie took place in a high school, Mean Girls is a perfect demonstration of how an exclusive clique like the “Plastics” can cause so much damage due to their verbal abuse, exclusion of others, and, of course, the “Burn Book.”  Another good example (although another high school example) demonstrating how cliques become problematic occurred in 1999 at Columbine High School, where members of a clique, the “Trench Coat Mafia,” were after jocks who wore white polos and baseball hats. In response, many of the jocks removed their clothing that identified with this in hopes of not getting hurt. It resulted in 15 high school students being killed, along with 2 of the Trench Coat Mafia members who started the whole thing. 24 were injured. This is an extreme case of discrimination and an example of how being part of a clique and having differences against another group can bring out the worst in some people. Below is a link to a video showing an interview of a boy who attended the school when this occurred and witnessed the whole thing happen.

Another example, now involving girls, that shows how cliques can result in nasty behavior involved 13 year old Karyssa Albrecht. She explained to a Seattle magazine how she would just walk in the hallways at school minding her own business, and yet be harassed by other girls. Karyssa shared that they would call her mean and inappropriate names. “The only way to explain these girls is just like, mean,” explains Karyssa. Since this 8^th grader was not part of a certain group, she was called names and excluded from activities. Girls during this age (12-14) are trying to find themselves and figure out who they are. Their way of trying to fit in and look “cool” is to have their small group friends and treat others who aren’t up to their level unfairly. Karyssa states how girls don't settle their disputes one-on-one. They build alliances, which complicates and prolongs the disagreement. "With girls," Karyssa says, "they have to get their friends involved, and they have to get their friends involved." It is obvious how one such as Karyssa would feel like a victim in her middle school. The most popular girls, experts say, are those who most closely fit the stereotype of femininity -- just as the coolest guys fit the traditional masculine mold. The setup creates problems for both aggressor and victim.

Why are girls so mean these days? It’s a question so many of us have been asking for over a decade now. This spring at least three new books sound an alarm over mean-spirited cliques and their tools of oppression, from shunning and name-calling to rumor-mongering. The official term is "relational aggression.” The media plays another role in adolescent’s lives. They watch TV and notice how to be mean, and then take it upon themselves to do it to others at school. The media also portrays a certain way to look, and if kids at school don’t look this way, then they may be made fun of or excluded from a clique. There may also be some internal factors that are unknown to everyone else. For example, one might be under a lot of pressure, causing them to act out in school and finding that teasing others is the only way to let their anger out.

This following video goes to show how many people are offended by cliques, and how some people find them to be something to be celebrated. All in all, cliques can be either a very good and positive thing, or a very bad and damaging thing.