Harrassment, sexism, etc. (was: DW quotes)
On Sat, 18 Jun 2005 12:18:14 +0930, Clytie Siddall
<clytie@riverland.net.au> wrote:
I remember when my elder daughter, then 12, came home from school one
day and talked about a social development class they'd had that day. In
the course of describing it, she said that one of the questions had
been, "Who would be more upset at being sexually abused, boys or girls?"
She had answered, "Boys, because they're not used to it."
This is a girl's guess on what she would have thought if she were a boy.
I once read a study (sorry, I don't recall a URL or ISBN number) on how
boys and girls that had a episodes of sexual abuse (adult perpetrators) in
their past. The boys were less likely to consider themselves as victims.
I think this ought to be taken at face value; it is not necessarily the
boys repressing their true feelings.
She didn't turn a hair while describing this, it was like saying black
is not white. I think it was one of the saddest things I've ever heard.
I had hoped, by her generation, things would have improved. I think
we've all hoped.
I asked her to describe the types of abuse she was talking about, say at
school, and by the time she'd listed getting your breasts pinched, guys
flattening you against a wall and slobbering and jerking all over you,
continual groping, and the range of thoroughly disgusting taunts and
suggestions, including a public count-down until your "cherry is
picked", I realized that things haven't changed much.
Great way to enter womanhood at 12 years old, huh?
I remember in the sixth grade when the boys in my class found that
groping the girls' newly developed breasts made the girls highly un-
comfortable. Soon they were gang-groping. It stopped when a female
teacher told them it was too silly.
These boys were pre-pubescent. Their motivation could hardly have
been sexual at all. It was plain, mean harrassment. The sexual
variety just happened to be extra effective. Kids can be nasty.
Really nasty.
--
Herman Robak
herman at skolelinux no
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