"What I see today a lot is parents who cannot bear for their kids to be uncomfortable.
They do not want them to suffer. They don't want them to struggle," said psychotherapist Laura Gray, who specializes in treating teens, to ABC.
Second - More Pressure:
Girls are facing more pressure to be "the Supergirl," as Powell and Griffin called it.
"The Supergirl does it all: varsity sports, student government, theatre, community service, and oh yea, youth group too."
But girls are also not supposed to look like they're trying to be a Supergirl and at the same time, be "more sexy."
"It seems that the real Supergirl pressure cooker recipe is something like smart-and-athletic-but-still-sexy-without-trying.
Third - More Violence:
There has been a rise in physical exertion and aggression among teen girls over the last few years, as author James Garbarino points out in See Jane Hit: Why Girls are Growing More Violent and What We Can Do About It.
"This 'new' physicality can in part be attributed to cultural shifts in attitudes towards women's bodies, social standing and participation, sports, and, well, 'girl power,'" the CYFM directors wrote.
How to Block/Reduce the "More":
Some suggestions the directors make to help shelter the girls from the more sexy, more pressure and more violence culture include scheduling a Girls-Only weekend retreat to address the new pressures girls are experiencing and discuss what makes girls feel valued. Also, give girls ways to appropriately express their physicality, providing opportunities for girls to experience themselves in ministry as more than just a pretty face, a pressured leader, or a nursery worker.
Tips on reducing the downpour of pressure on girls include allowing the girls to express their thoughts on the three "mores" through poems, collages, songs or art to each other and to the guys in the ministry. And ask the guys to share their thoughts.
Discuss the issues with the parents and let them chew on some of the findings.
The primary "more" youth workers and parents have to offer their children is the message of Jesus Christ and how his death and resurrection brought hope and healing for the girls as much as anyone else, as Powell and Griffin pointed out. That "more" "trumps by far the 'mores' of our culture."
