A leading headmistress has criticised TV talent shows like the X Factor for "glamorising" bullying and arrogance.
Dr Helen Wright warned that it is not just the "banal and mind-numbing" nature of such shows which is "undesirable", but also their "amorality".
She also raised concerns about the "easy celebrity" gained by reality TV stars, which can seem appealing to young people lacking a direction in their lives.
Dr Wright, who is president of the Girls' Schools Association (GSA), will voice her fears in her address to the GSA's annual conference in Bristol on Monday.
She will say: "It is not just the banal and mind-numbing nature of many of these copycat shows which I feel is so undesirable or the easy celebrity reality TV stars seem to have achieved which can be very attractive to teenagers and children seeking a direction - but the amorality of such shows.
"In the X Factor, contestants are encouraged to be at each other's throats, seemingly more so this year than ever."
She adds: "Qualities such as bullying and arrogance are glamorised and become synonyms for ambition and drive.
"Young people look up to these so-called stars who have themselves been catapulted into a spotlight which can be far too much for them."
Dr Wright, headmistress of St Mary's Calne in Wiltshire, told the Daily Mail that the explosion of reality TV shows and the culture they promote "strikes at the heart of the way we should be bringing our children up".
Last month, X Factor, which is broadcast by ITV, was hit by an allegation of bullying when Louis Walsh and Tulisa Contostavlos accused fellow judge Kelly Rowland's act Misha B of "bullying" other contestants.