A Girls Life

Description: Girls growing up in America today have more opportunities than their mothers and grandmothers ever imagined. They do well in school by fifth grade theyre equal to boys in math and science and theyre significantly better at reading and writing. They have more career choices more flexibility in family roles and more female role models in positions of political power.But even as doors open girls may not be able to walk confidently through them. When they get to middle school girls self-esteem plunges. Twice as many girls as boys attempt suicide. Twice as many show signs of depression. Girls have a higher risk of abusing alcohol and drugs and violent physical assaults by girls have skyrocketed since 1990.Host Rachel Simmons has been studying girls relationships behavior and psychology for more than a decade. Her bestselling 2002 book Odd Girl Out: the Hidden Culture of Aggression in Girls started a widespread cultural conversation about girls psychological aggression and bullying. Her recently published new book Curse of the Good Girl traces the impact of our internalized ideas of girlhood on girls psychological development. Learn more about Rachel.In A GIRLS LIFE Simmons goes back into the field to introduce audiences to four typical teenage American girls. The girls tell their own deeply personal tales of dealing with issues like cyber-bullying body image and violence.