In almost every society, the male is the cornerstone of power and authority. The most upheld attributes of any given society are those associated with masculinity. Immediately, children begin to associate their gender with passivity or dominance. For example, boys are typically taught not to cry when they hurt. Society simply pushes this process along.
Solutions often cause withdrawal.
Heather decided that her only choice was to simply avoid school altogether rather than asking for help. She remained quiet and passive, just as she had been socialized to do. The consequences for doing otherwise was too frightening to contemplate. In 1999, after confiding in a teacher about the treatment she had been forced to endure, she was taking legal action against the boys and the school. As a result, she was socially forced to leave school and transfer to another junior high in the Valley.