I rarely read the newspaper. We don’t subscribe to it and so I only see it on rare occasions when we pick one up. Today hubby bought one and I read a very scary and interesting article about sexual harassment in our schools.
The article stated that in a recent study of the 2010-2011 school year 48% of students in grades 7-12 have experienced some form of sexual harassment in person or electronically via texting, email and social media. Now for those that might say ‘well that’s less than half!’ – I disagree! I say, ‘FORTY EIGHT PERCENT??!! Are you kidding me?! Not only is it ALMOST half of the kids … that’s an extremely high number if you ask me!’
The article also states that the harassment made them feel sick to their stomach, affected their study habits or fueled reluctance to go to school at all. And that it has ‘reached a level where it’s almost a normal part of the school day.’ Some of the things included having someone make unwelcome sexual comments about them, being called gay or lesbian in a negative way, being touched in an unwelcome sexual way, being shown sexual pictures they didn’t want to see, and being the subject of unwelcome sexual rumors. It angers me that kids have to face these things – of course they wouldn’t want to go to school or felt distracted! How could anyone hope to learn properly under those types of circumstances?!
I just can’t tell you how sick to my stomach this makes me feel. It’s really sad that so many of our kids have to face this kind of crap every day just to get an education. {These were public AND private schools by the way.}
I can remember as a child being made fun of or picked on. Not in a sexual way, but still, mean words or insults certainly stick with you … long into adulthood! I can only imagine the emotional scars these young people will carry with them after having dealt with this stuff throughout their school years.
Reading this article made me SO thankful that we homeschool. My children will never face this type of harassment while in our ‘school’. However, I’m not naive enough to think that it couldn’t happen elsewhere. We are not a family that completely shelters our girls. They play sports, attend activities, etc. So obviously they interact with many other children {and coaches/leaders}. I also know that homeschooling isn’t the answer for many people. This isn’t a debate about homeschooling, OR a way for me to insult anyone who doesn’t homeschool.
My purpose in sharing this is to ask parents to BE AWARE. This poll was given to 7-12th graders … but we have friends who have experienced inappropriate things even as young as the THIRD grade! You have got to be talking with your kids. You have got to make sure your kids know that they can come to you and share with you and be honest about things they hear or see. They have to know that home is the place where they feel safe and can trust their parents to be on their side.
One of the scarier things about the article was that the majority of the kids who were harassed were too scared or embarrassed to tell anyone, so it just kept on happening. The only reason they admitted to it for the poll was because it was done anonymously online, rather than in person, so the kids would feel free to answer candidly.
It’s unfortunate that our kids are growing up in a very scary time. Sex pervades our culture at every turn … the pictures and photos in the magazines in the checkout line are increasingly inappropriate, sexual offenders are popping up more and more all around us, social media has allowed kids to bully and harass and say or do things they would never do in person. It’s rampant and we’ve got to protect our kids. No, we don’t have to live naive lives and keep them locked up in glass bubbles – but we do have to protect and prepare them and most of all PRAY for them!
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