What does the social world of girls look like? At first glance, it’s about sharing secrets, giggling over boys and carefree fun. But lurking underneath this façade of niceness is a hidden culture of nastiness that pits one friend against another. Lynn Glazier examines the tumultuous nature of female relationships from girlhood to adulthood; from the playground to the office.

Part 1:
Worldwide research on aggression in girls shows that they are motivated to use their closest relationships as weapons, regardless of class, race or family background. Why do girls resort to covert tactics to win and keep their place in the social hierarchy? Insightful commentary from leading North American experts and an intimate view of a clique of ten-year-old girls exposes the foundation of the hidden culture of aggression in girls.

Part 2:
What are the costs when society insists that “catty” behaviour is normal? A fourteen-year-old girl killed herself to escape persistent social torment. She named three girls in her suicide note, resulting in criminal charges and a precedent-setting court case. Through exclusive interviews with the girl’s family, closest friends and her tormentor, a startlingly complex picture of denial, blame, guilt and a continuing struggle to heal emerges.

Part 3:
Evidence suggests that women pack up their social baggage from childhood and tote it to the office. Professional relationships among women at work can get mired in the same destructive dynamics that ruled their teenage behaviour. After four decades of feminist efforts and hard won parity with men, why are working women their own worst enemy instead of their best champion?

It’s A Girl’s World is a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and National Film Board of Canada co-production resulting in a television program and this three part radio program. For information on the companion film documentary directed by Lynn Glazier, contact the National Film Board of Canada.