Forget mean girls: Science says mean boys are more common

We all know about “mean girls:” They talk behind each other’s backs, exclude other kids just to be catty, and cut off friendships with no warning or explanation. But what about mean boys? New research finds that they might be even more common than we think. 

The study, published recently in the journal Aggressive Behavior, analyzed how kids spread rumors and socially reject and exclude others. Researchers at the University of Georgia surveyed 620 students annually between sixth grade and high school and found that a whopping 96 percent of students had spread rumors or said something nasty about another kid — and the behavior was more common among boys. Girls, on the other hand, were more likely to fall victim to such behavior, which the researchers call “relational aggression.”