Dds in yr 6 and has had issues with a couple of boys being mean (school dealt with brilliantly) she never been teased or picked on by a girl, I chat to many of the parents and from reception any nasty name calling has mostly come from the boys, (several have been excluded from school over the years) aimed at both the girls and other boys, it's only referred to as bitchy when a girl does it, not once have I heard a young boy called bitchy for name-calling, if anything it's dismissed as "boys will be boys" or if a boy is mean to a girl she's told "it means he likes you" (which is a dangerous message imo)
A pp said Girls are bitchy. Boys fight and then are friends
If I were to say "boys are violent" I'd be told that girls can be just as bad etc and that it's offensive. That labelling all boys as violent because some are is stereotyping and stereotyping is bad.
Ive worked with lots of children over the years and genuinely have not noticed girls being more likely to name call etc, I do think the labelling of the behaviour differs (girls are bitchy vs boys will be boys) depending on gender though. ( I'm speaking generally)
Just thinking on it, I can't think of a word to describe males who name call and are mean. I know they sometimes get called bitchy, but it's used in a way that says they are acting like a woman, suggesting name calling is something women do, and doing something women do is negative. (I probably made fuck all sense there, it sounds right in my head)
Also, most negative behaviours are put down to parenting, esp at five/six years old, but this doesn't often apply to girls who name call, that behaviour is written off as bitchiness.
I think all children can be cruel and mean to be honest, not just girls.