It is true that women are often the victims of domestic violence, abused by husbands, fathers, brothers and other relatives. However, there has been of late an abundance of videos in circulation showing women beating other women up, sometimes in public. One recent video clip doing the rounds on social media websites showed a woman trying to throw a chair at another woman in a café. The other woman seemed to be furious. While it is true that men can be violent and throw punches, it is difficult imagining the same regarding women, especially in public. Why are women, perceived to be the gentle sex, often becoming so violent? What causes them to lose control and lash out at other women without feeling an ounce of remorse? Women who work in schools report an increase in violent behavior among schoolgirls in the Kingdom with some teachers also exhibiting violence and getting into altercations with students and colleagues, Al-Riyadh newspaper said in a recent report. "The problem has roots at home because many families are inclined not to punish their daughters if they do something wrong or use physical violence," said Maha Abdullah, a teacher who has seen firsthand girls fighting with each other with some as young as 12. "These parents dismiss the matter as something trivial and feel that their daughters will grow out of it once they go pass the teenage years," she added. Abdullah called on schools to give social and psychological counselors more active roles to deal with and resolve these issues. "Currently, most schools do not have counselors and select certain teachers to play this role, which is wrong. It is shocking to see some girls threatening teachers in front of other students without a shred of fear," she added. Lamia Al-Naeem feels women have a tendency to create problems out of nothing or out of trivial matters. "They then shout at both men and women in public. The video clip of the woman throwing a chair at another woman in a café stemmed from a disagreement over the table — both women wanted to sit at the same table," said Al-Naeem. "Female security guards jumped in to break up the fight but could not as both women were going at each other like crazy. Violence does not befit women because women are supposed to be gentle. Unfortunately, we have lately seen numerous acts of violence involving women," she added. Uhood Al-Faseel is a female trainer. She blames the pressure of modern life on why women lose their composure and resort to violence. "The woman of today does a lot of things. She is a mother, a wife, a female employee and often the sole breadwinner of her family. She has so many responsibilities and in some cases more than what a man can handle," she said. "It is men who are supposed to shoulder all these responsibilities, not women. Because of pressure, some women can no longer be gentle human beings who love to be pampered and taken care of," she added. Dr. Shaikha Al-Ouda, a counselor in human, social and psychological development, said women are gentle and shy by nature. However, when a woman is provoked, she can be violent and lash out at others. "Women should be able to get a grip on their feelings and control themselves. There are soaps on TV depicting women being violent in public. These programs influence how we think and act in public, especially with the subliminal and hidden messages some series send to viewers," she added. Even women in Western countries may find themselves in situations where they end up using violence against others. "Any woman can lose her composure when she feels jealous, and jealousy is not just about marital relationships. It can take place inside a mall. Let's take the example of a woman who is buying an item which is then grabbed by another person from her, she would lash out," said Al-Ouda.
