My dd has 2 older cousins, both boys. One is 2 years older, the other 3. She is 8. The 2 boys are very close when we meet up as a family, like 2 peas in a pod, they spend all their time together giggling and doing boyish stuff. We often spend time together on holidays as a family for a couple of weeks or days out etc. The problem is the boys have increasingly ganged up on my daughter. It began when they were very young with general teasing, but that has developed into more aggressive behaviour where they push her under the water in swimming pools, constantly laugh at her, kick her, make snide comments etc. It is no longer occasional - it goes on for the entire time we are all together.
Any advice on how to deal with it? I don't want her to miss out on family occasions and trips to waterparks etc., but they now blatently ignore me when I ask them to stop or tell them it's not nice. Infact, they now laugh and snigger whenever I get involved. My dd just wants to play and it is very sad. I've told her it's not anything about her, just the way the boys are together, but it's just not a good enough excuse. I worry for them as much as her. Why do bigger boys think this sort of behaviour towards a smaller, younger girl is alright? Individually they are quite different, although one does display some anger issues, they will listen and behave. Together, they are a force of nature!