Saudi Gazette report
THE number of tomboys in girls’ schools has been on the increase lately. They usually wear short hair and men’s sports shoes and walk and act like men do. Apparently, many schools do not follow strict dress code as they used to, Al-Riyadh daily reported. But why do some girls engage in such negative practices that do not befit their gender? The real problem lies in the fact that many families do not realize that their daughters love to wear men’s clothes and act mannishly.
Psychological problems
Dr. Muhammad Al-Qahtani, an associate professor of psychology, Imam Muhammad Bin Saud Islamic University, advised that more attention should be given to this sensitive issue before it gets out of hand and control. Of course, there are social reasons why a girl can turn into a tomboy. One is she might have been influenced by a close friend or relative who loves to act like men. Another reason is the girl might have grown with in a family environment where she was surrounded by brothers. A third reason is the Satellite channels that air TV shows focusing on tomboys.
“Some girls talk and act like men and want to look like men just to attract attention and be praised by others. The more praise they get, the more they like what they do and try to look more like men,” he noted.
Some mothers and female teachers do not take this matter seriously and belittle the effects of emulating Western cultures, the majority of which do consider tomboys as normal people who have the right to be so, he said.
Male hormones
Studies claim that some girls are born with more male than female hormones in their bodies and they do not get treated from the start. There are several treatments available for this medical condition. The most important thing is that the treatment should start at an early age.
If the symptoms appear early, the mother should have her daughter undergo a physiological examination and work hard to enhance the feminine identity of her daughter and praise her feminine features and character all the time.
Identity crisis
Maha Al-Musalam, a sociologist, stressed the importance of instilling Islamic values in the minds of their children in the first six years to ensure that their children, especially daughters, will grow to live their lives following the Shariah.
“Girls who emulate boys and act like them are facing an identity crisis. They must have been influenced by social, cultural or psychological problems when they were little. Sometimes the hardline social traditions and norms can drive girls to emulate boys in what they do,” she explained.
Al-Musalam also blames the Internet sites and advertisements that encourage girls to engage in such abnormal behavior and practices. She called upon parents to keep an eye on their children and take any abnormal behavior as seriously as possible. She also urged teachers in girls’ schools to raise student awareness about such negative practices.
