British Girls Gone Wild: 'Ladette Culture' on Rise

May 22, 2006 — -- The "ladette culture" of rowdy, boisterous young British girls is on the rise, according to a new study.

Girls were more likely than boys to smoke, drink, take drugs, and display violent behavior, the study said. The study was conducted by questionnaire in schools under exam conditions and was similar to an 1985 survey involving high school students. The results were then used to contrast today's behavior.

The term "ladette" has mostly been associated with post-school-age young women. More recently there have been concerns about high school girls becoming ladettes. This so-called culture -- a female incarnation of the lad stereotype associated with rowdy pub drinkers and football fans -- has fueled concern that young teenage girls are becoming more like boys in adopting bad habits.

The concept has been surrounded by media hype and has led to a significant rise in binge drinking.

"The bad news is that 20 years ago boys drugged, drank, smoked, truanted, stole, vandalized and fought more than girls," said lead study researcher Colin Pritchard, professor at Bournemouth University's Institute of Health and Community Studies, in a statement. "Today it is very different. Girls now significantly smoke and binge-drink more than boys. They truant, steal and fight at similar rates to boys but have started under-aged sex earlier than boys."

A similar study by DataMonitor in 2005 predicted that alcohol consumption among young women in the United Kingdom would increase by almost a third in five years.

Many argue that the alcohol industry and its outlets have done little to slow down binge drinking habits and have contributed to the rise in anti-social behavior in England. Some critics have warned that the relaxation of alcohol licensing laws and the ready availability of free bargain drinks mean young girls are actively encouraged to engage in reckless drinking.