Girls on the Edge: The Four Factors Driving the New Crisis for Girls: Sexual Identity, the Cyberbubble, Obsessions, Environmental Toxins

273 Pages·2010·1.07 MB·English

by  Leonard Sax

• PARENTING • girls
The FOUR FACTORS : S
•$26.00US/$31.00CAN •
a
sexual identity. x
Girlsaretryingtolooksexyandattractattentionatamuchyoungerage.This M
any girls today are engaging in
hastheunintendedconsequenceofdisengagingthemfromtheirownemergingsexuality,oftenleading
toaconfusedsexualidentity. self-destructive behavior: cutting
on the themselves; obsessing over their
the cyberbubble.
Inthiseraoftexting,sexting,andFacebook,agirlcaneasilybecomestuck
appearance, grades, sports, and social net-
ina“cyberbubble”:hyper-connectedwithherpeers,shebecomesdisconnectedfromherself.
working sites; acting sexy when they don’t
obsessions.
Some girls are anxious about grades or about sports.Others fixate on what they
g
feel sexy. Many have a brittle sense of self.
eat. And at least one in five American girls are now deliberately harming themselves—cutting
more themselveswithrazors,burning themselves with cigarettes.Without a strong sense of self,girls i A growing proportion of teen and tween girls
k
Blac become vulnerable to obsessions. r areconfusedabout their sexual identity, and
y
Cla l
© environmental toxins. Endocrinedisruptorsareacceleratingtheonsetofpubertyingirls. s edge there is new evidence that environmental
But girlswhobeginpubertytooearlywillbeatincreasedriskofdrug andalcoholabuse,anxiety,and toxins are accelerating theirphysicalmaturity
Leonard Sax, M.D., Ph.D.,
depressionasteenagers. o
fasterthantheiremotionalmaturity.Manygirls
is a family physician, psychologist, and girls on the edge n today may look confident and strong on the
PRAISEFOR
acclaimedauthorofBoysAdriftandWhyGender
outside,butinside,they’refragile.
Matters.Heisfounderandexecutivedirectorof “Dr.Saxonceagaincombinesyearsofexperiencewithcompellingresearchandcommonsensetointelligently t InGirlsontheEdge,psychologistandphysician 6-5/16”x9.5
the National Association for Single Sex Public challengethestatusquoofwhatitmeanstoraiseahealthydaughter.GirlsontheEdgeoffersskillsparentscan h Bulk:3/4”
Leonard Sax provides the tools we need to
incorporatetofeelmorecompetentwithourgirlsandyoungwomen.” —FLORENCE HILLIARD, Spine:1”
Education(NASSPE).Hehasbeenfeaturedon
DirectoroftheGenderStudiesProject,UniversityofWisconsin–Madison e help girls become independent and confident
CNN,PBS,TheTodayShow,FoxNews,NPR’s BasicBooks
women. He offers parents practical tips on
“Turnoffyourcellphonesandcomputers,andreadthisbook!Youwillconnectwithyourdaughterinnewways, Hardcover
Talkof theNation,and more.He lives with his e
andshewillthankyou.” —RABBI SANDYEISENBERG SASSO,authorofGod’sPaintbrushandInGod’sName FOUR FACTORS DRIVING everythingfromhelpingtheirdaughterschoose
The
wifeanddaughterinChesterCounty,Pennsylvania. d
a sports team to deciding limits on social 4/colorprocess
“Writtenthroughrealstoriesandsupportedbystrongevidenceinthefieldsofeducation,psychology,andthe
sciences—aMUSTread.” —MARGARET M. FERRARA, Ph.D., g NEW CRISIS GIRLS networking sites.Sax also shows how and why
www.leonardsax.com the for
Finish:mattepoly
editorofAdvancesinGenderandEducation(A.G.E.)andassociateprofessor,UniversityofNevada–Reno girls are more likely to reach their potential if
e
“LeonardSaxbringstogetherararecombinationofpsychoanalytictrainingwithadeepempathyforgirlsand they are involved in communities of women,
• • • • • • • •
theirstoriesinthisimportantbook.Hisargumentthatgirlsarestrugglingtofindtheircenterswillresonateand communitiesthatbridgethegenerations.
hisrecommendationsforhowtolocatethemwillinspire.” —COURTNEY E. MARTIN, sexual identity • the cyberbubble
Essential and inspiring, Girls on the Edge
JacketdesignbyJenniferCarrow authorofPerfectGirls,StarvingDaughters
obsessions • environmental toxins
points the way to a new future for today’s girls
JacketImage©KeithHern/Alamy $26.00US/$31.00CAN
ISBN 978-0-465-01561-0 andyoungwomen.
52600
Leonard Sax, M.D., Ph.D.
• • • • • • • •
04/10
AMemberofthePerseusBooksGroup
www.basicbooks.com Author of Boys Adrift
9 780465 015610
9780465015611-text_sax 2/16/10 2:09 PM Page i
girls
on the
edge
9780465015611-text_sax 2/16/10 2:09 PM Page ii
Also by Leonard Sax
Boys Adrift
Why Gender Matters
9780465015611-text_sax 2/16/10 2:09 PM Page iii
girls
on the
edge
The FOUR FACTORS DRIVING
the NEW CRISIS forGIRLS
sexual identity, the cyberbubble,
obsessions, environmental toxins
Leonard Sax, M.D., Ph.D.
A Member of the Perseus Books Group
New York
9780465015611-text_sax 2/16/10 2:09 PM Page iv
Copyright © 2010 by Leonard Sax
Published by Basic Books,
A Member of the Perseus Books Group
387 Park Avenue South
New York, NY 10016
All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may
be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case
of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. For information, address
the Perseus Books Group, 387 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016-8810.
Books published by Basic Books are available at special discounts for bulk purchases in
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formation, please contact the Special Markets Department at the Perseus Books Group,
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e-mail [email protected].
Every effort has been made to secure required permissions to use all images, art, lyrics,
and other original material included in this volume.
Designed by Pauline Brown
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Sax, Leonard.
Girls on the edge : the four factors driving the new crisis for girls : sexual identity, the
cyberbubble, obsessions, environmental toxins / Leonard Sax.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-465-01561-0 (alk. paper)
1. Girls—Psychology. 2. Girls—Health and hygiene. 3. Gender identity. I. Title.
HQ777.S29 2010
305.23082—dc22
2010003800
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
9780465015611-text_sax 2/16/10 2:09 PM Page v
For my wife, Katie,
and my daughter, Sarah
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Dig into yourself . . .
Go into yourself and find out how deep is the place from which your life springs;
at its source you will find the answer to your question . . .
RAINERMARIARILKE
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9780465015611-text_sax 2/16/10 2:09 PM Page ix
contents
introduction: three girls 1
CHAPTER 1 first factor: sexual identity 11
CHAPTER 2 second factor: the cyberbubble 37
CHAPTER 3 third factor: obsessions 67
CHAPTER 4 fourth factor: environmental toxins 99
CHAPTER 5 mind 121
CHAPTER 6 body 155
CHAPTER 7 spirit 181
acknowledgments 215
notes 219
permission credits 247
index 249
ix