Unfortunately, this sort of abusive relationship is common in middle school, particularly among girls. This is a generalization and not an out-and-out rule, but often boys work out their differences through physical fights or contests, battling with their fists or on the playing field. Girls more often resort to something called relational aggression. Some girls use their relationships with other girls as weapons to intimidate and belittle these supposed friends, all in the name of power and popularity. The writer Rachel Simmons brilliantly chronicles this epidemic in her book Odd Girl Out,
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