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Queen Bees: An Examination Of The Mean Girl Phenomenon, Danielle Ayers

Honors Theses

As highlighted in the media, it is clear that the mean girl phenomenon is becoming a dangerous and growing trend in schools around the country. While girls are less likely than boys to engage in physical fights, they fight within friendship networks to damage relationships and reputations. Within these friendships, the “queen bee” is the girl holding supreme power and influence over the rest, using a combination of charisma and manipulation to keep absolute control. This study examined who these queen bees are and why they negatively dominate schools by asking females in grades six through college senior to discuss …