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Health & Fitness

Teach Your Children Well - Sexual Harassment Among Kids At School

Even in this day and age girls find themselves the victims of sexual harassment by boys at school. How can we influence boys to stop this behavior and girls to stand up against it?

For some reason themes seem to surface from time to time that compel me to present the issues to our community with the hope that awareness may create some real change.  The theme for this week is the disturbing level of sexual harassment young girls are exposed to while at school.  I know that adolescent boys are hyper-focused on all things sexual, but you may be surprised at the level of insult without any particular awareness that they are causing real harm.

Through the years I have heard of boys, often in groups, making public comments on the bodies of the girls walking by.  They are either told they are “flat” or comments of all kinds are made about their breasts, weight and level of attractiveness.  I’ve already written a few months ago about the requests for nude pictures, and this often is unrelenting.

Girls tell me that if they don’t agree in conversations with boys they are told they must be P.M.S.ing and should “go get a pad”.  Comments are made about still being virgins or being sluts.  Either category is cause for mortifying commentary. It is an age-old split regarding how females are seen and it is sad that it continues in the present day.  

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Boys like this don’t recognize how demoralizing these comments are (or maybe they do, but I am giving them the benefit of the doubt) and how long lasting the affects can be on self-esteem.  Depression, anxiety and even some eating disorders can be tied to cruel words internalized as kids.  But what can we do about it?

Parents who talk to their boys about showing respect for girls and who role model this behavior can exert influence at a time when their sons’ attitudes are being shaped about the opposite sex.  If you hear your sons making disparaging comments to or about girls, set them straight.  Ask how they would feel if they knew their sister or mother was being treated this way.  This is laying the groundwork for respect in relationships, and it is something usually not taught in school.

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Finally, girls need to be encouraged to share with their parents when they have been disrespected.  Assertiveness training is very effective when it comes from home.  Girls need to learn that they must stand up for themselves and not be intimidated or embarrassed by the crude behavior of others. I am sure many of us clearly recall going through this earlier in life and may still be experiencing this kind of treatment.

This is a great subject for conversation within families.  I am interested in hearing about how readers feel on this subject and how they’ve handled their daughters or sons.   

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