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About the Program
Girls growing up in America today have more opportunities than their mothers and grandmothers ever imagined. They do well in school; by fifth grade they’re equal to boys in math and science, and they’re 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 GIRL’S 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.
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Analuz Adames, fifteen, loves to play sports and has been athletic since she was a little girl, but she still has a hard time resisting pervasive, pernicious media images of how her body should look. -
Libby Rice, fourteen, found herself in junior high hell when her best friends-turned-cyberbullies staged an assault of cruel text messages, turning the entire student body against her. -
Sixteen-year-old Carla Torres got into violent fights she was later ashamed to see posted on the Internet. -
Sonia Luna, eighteen, worries that she may not get into the college of her choice or get the financial aid she needs to make it out of East Harlem.
Simmons also interviews parents, psychologists, teachers and social workers. They share tips on how to help nurture girls into capable, resilient adults. And, as viewers trace the thorny new challenges girls face, the girls themselves reveal an inspiring supply of strength, energy, smarts and support for each other. With courage and determination, these girls reveal their hopes and dreams for a powerful future. As Sonia Luna points out, "The best thing about being a girl is that we can do anything."
Resources: Find a comprehensive list of web sites, books and other resources about raising girls.
A GIRL’S LIFE is a co-production of Powderhouse Productions, Inc., and the Independent Television Service (ITVS), with funding provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and produced in association with Oregon Public Broadcasting, who are solely responsible for its content.
© 2009 Powderhouse Productions, Inc.