Sexual Harassment A Hurdle For Teen Girls

Study: Teenage Girls Often Subjected To Unwanted Romantic Advances, Academic Sexism

(WebMD)  Despite strides in gender equality most teenage girls continue to experience sexual harassment at home, school, and on the playing field.

A new study shows that 90 percent of girls report experiencing sexual harassment at least once and more than half have experienced academic sexism regarding their ability in male-dominated fields such as science and math.

Researchers say sexual harassment may take the form of unwanted sexual behavior and sexist comments, and repeated sexual harassment can negatively affect girls' self-esteem, body image , achievement, and beliefs about others.

"This study documents the continued pervasiveness of sexism in the lives of adolescent girls," researcher Campbell Leaper, professor of psychology at the University of California Santa Cruz, says in a news release. "When sexual harassment frequently occurs, girls may come to expect demeaning behaviors as normal in heterosexual relationships. And when girls' achievement is discouraged in traditionally male-dominated fields, their potential is limited and society loses potentially talented individuals in important fields such as science and technology."


Sexual Harassment Starts Early

In the study, researchers surveyed 600 girls between the ages of 12 and 18 from California and Georgia. The girls were asked about their views on gender roles and sexism, as well as their personal experiences with sexual harassment. They were also asked about discouraging comments they'd received about their abilities in science, math, computers, and sports.

The results, published in Child Development, showed the vast majority
(90 percent) had experienced sexual harassment at least once. The most commonly reported examples were:

• Receiving unwanted romantic attention from a male (67 percent)


• Hearing demeaning gender-related comments (62 percent)


• Being teased about their appearance (58 percent)


• Receiving unwanted physical contact (51 percent)


• Being teased, bullied, or threatened with harm by a male (28 percent)

At least 52 percent of the girls also said they had heard at least one discouraging comment about their math, science, and computer abilities related to their sex.

In addition, more than three-fourths of girls (76 percent) said they had also heard such discouraging comments about their athletic ability.

The source of sexual harassment and sexist comments was most often close male friends and brothers (25 percent) and other boys (32 percent), followed by teachers or coaches (23 percent) and close female friends or sisters (18 percent) and other girls (22 percent).

Parents were not as common a source (fathers 15 percent; mothers 12 percent).

The survey also showed that girls who were of lower socioeconomic status reported higher rates of sexual harassment than girls with higher socioeconomic status. Older girls were more likely to report sexual harassment and sexism than younger girls.

Researchers say awareness of gender issues also played a role in how the girls perceived sexual harassment and sexism. Girls who had learned about feminism from the media or people they knew, such as their mothers or teachers, were more likely to recognize sexual harassment and sexism.

Researchers say recognizing when sexism occurs is a crucial first step toward overcoming discrimination. "Otherwise, it is more likely that individuals attribute failure to their lack of ability rather than to the obstacles in their environment," says Leaper.

[three-o-six]

"Receiving unwanted romantic attention from a male" is considered sexual harassment???

[jasonmcj]

What a load of *** article. Women makes comments all the time about an ability or inabilily of a man to do something simply because they are "men."

Can''t have it both ways ladies....you want equality, be prepared to treat everyone equal...

[jasonmcj]

Someone explain how this nonsense is sexual harrassment to me please "Receiving unwanted romantic attention from a male"

[joe1022joe]

A group of feminists get together. They determine to attempt to further the feminist agenda. They concoct a set of parameters for this so called "study" which will further the feminist agenda. They hire committed feminists and/or young women they have managed to brain wash. They prepare appropriately feminist agenda supporting questions. They determinedly ignore all common sense. Immutable male/female human nature is treated as though it is a disease and they come to their predetermined conclusion. Presto: They produce the "study" this article is based upon. Oh, yes - I almost forgot. They make sure some feminist writer(s) get their hands on this "study" to send it out to the media, a group that in general is in league with the nonsense spouted in this study and the feminist ethos. What a surprise! What an addition to human knowledge.

[emelder]

JasonM ... "no" means "no" ... it''s that simple.

[rf35]

JasonM ... "no" means "no" ... it''''s that simple.

Posted by emelder at 12:41 PM : May 15, 2008

First, they must say "no." Until then, they are the only ones who know whether the attention is unwanted or not. They onten fail to do this.

The biggest problems with this "study" are the broad definition of sexual harassment and the fact that only girls in two states were included. The proper title for the article:
Sexual Harassment A Hurdle For Teen Girls In Some Parts Of California And Georgia.

[bluestardad]

SO IS REGISTERING FOR THE DRAFT WHEN THEY ARE 18!

EQUAL RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES!

AMERICA STAND UP OR SHUT UP!

[hypnotoad72]

More reasons why schools should re-adopt uniforms and teach education rather than tolerating love notes or bullies as "freedom of speech", both of which are irrelevant to the point OF schools.

The gay community recently had a fit because of some principal''s attitudes as well. If school was limited to teaching and not fraternizing, so many of these problems would be eliminated before they started.

Equality starts with adulthood. Kids sadly aren''t born to learn how to behave and get educated. Bullies should be properly dealt with, those with PDDs CAN contribute to society despite certain impediments, and this "romance" garbage be flushed too.

[Syndicate]

Big deal. Be a man about it. We get sexually harrased daily. If its not some women trying to get ahead by acting "Cute" wearing a short skirt. Its some other male talking about the size of his member. If its not that its the male disparaging commercials on TV. You know the ones were the man is an idiot and the woman has all the answers. The Vonage commercials come to mind. Why do all the female news casters have big **** and wear low cut shirts? I just want the news. I don''t want a peep show. As men and boys we are in a very difficult situation. We are expected to ask women out. Yet if she doesn''t want us to ask her out then some how we are stalkers. There are currently more women in college than men. I think that invalidates the report. Furthermore. IF you don''t want male sexual attention stop asking for it. Stop wearing make up. Stop fixing your hair. Stop wearing skimpy out fits. Stop com peteing with other women for male attention. Women are a tease and they get pissed if you are not willing to just be teased. I had to tell a girl at work to stop smiling at me and bating her eyes when ever she wanted something. I found it totally unprofessional.

[dr_j_g]

One wonders why this behaviour from male colleagues and teachers and so forth is so much more prevalent in European-ancestral races, whether in U.S. or in continental Europe. Picture is different in India - until women are limited by their need to contribute a bit to children and home they are respected for doing science, and women with science or academic careers are largely helped by joint families sharing home and child care post childrens'' breastfeeding needs.

All I have to say to this study is a royal BS

[eyewideopen]

If you can''t fathom how ''receiving unwanted romantic attention from a male'' is harassment, then you are probably part of the problem.

[Syndicate]

dr_j_g: I will assume you are not trying to be racist. However I do feel they need to point out that India suffers from social problems of its own. Their is a group in India who are considered below low class. Until recently it was even ok to kill them. A recent news report talked about a pregnant women who belong to this group who was allowed to die because no doctor would treat her. Part of the difference is courtship rituals. In America and Europe we do not arrange marriages thus everyone is responsible for finding their own mates this a by product of that friction. Unfortunatley our women have developed a supperiority complex. Basicly its Ok for the football quarter back to hit on her but not the class nerd.

[differnet]

Wow! Talk about a bunch of bitter men. So, I gather you are all upset that the world changed so much that it is no longer your private playgrounds! Geesh! We are talking 12 to 18 year old girls here. Maybe you could find another way to vent your spleen.

Do you think it''s alright for a boy to pull the bra on a girl and tease her about her breast size? My 14 years old daughter came home with just such a story last year. My advice was for her to YELL loudly that he should get his hands off of her right there in the class. The next time this young man decided it was okay to pull my daughter''s bra, he ended up in front of the Dean of the school. If my daughter was pulling on your son''s pants I would want her to face consequences too, but that''s not how things are working out.

[dr_j_g]

Perhaps it has a lot to do with general prevalent culture in a society that does not respect either women or intelligence, and instead promotes football and disco and dating as height of desirable achievement for growing young; since there is no respect for subjects that are hard and women are looked down on as compulsor-ily *** objects males fear the intelligence of girls if it is not carefully hidden beneath makeup, dress, and soft academic or non academic persona. And such fear results in sexual harrassment of girls, while it might result in beating up of intelligent young males who are not hefty and upper stratum culturally or racially or financially.

[Syndicate]

I never snapped a girls bra strap. But I know a lot of guys who did. Guess what? They got laid. And thats the problem Women say I want a nice guy. Then date the first *** hole that comes along. Its doesn''t take us long to figure out what you really want. You treat a few girls like a gentleman and they walk on you. You treat one like *** and she will worship the ground you walk on. Thats were my bitterness comes from. I''am the nice guy and I have suffered greatly for it.

[Syndicate]

dr_j_g: I disagree I think its more a matter of human nature. In the west we have stripped away tradition. we are all free. I believe this allows our primal instincts to manifest them selfs. Thus women prefer aggressive dominate males. This in turns forces the males to become ever more aggresive. I don''t know a lot about Indian mating rituals, but I have been looking into the middle east and how they treat their women. I kinda get them. I saw a study that concluded a pretty girl will make a man stupid for a minute or two. Later that day a pretty girl walked by and I knocked over a starbucks display. My male biology can be very annoying. I get the burka thing. Its good for skin cancer too. Anyways I think the Middle east shows us how traditions have evolved to deal with these issues.

[ozonmojo]

It is not teen girls alone that face this problem.Just look at what is happening to Hillary Rodham Clinton in the hands of a male dominated American media.

[susanhelit]

Funny how those who never have to deal with it, or perpetrate it are always so quick and defensive to say it doesn''t exist, or is no big deal. It is a big deal. I''m a female computer programmer. In school, some of the teachers do indeed make gender assumptions - I tried to discuss an issue about going further into graphing complex multi-dimensional integrations with my teacher - and he assumed I wanted to talk about the colors in the pretty pictures. I had another teacher who made it clear every day he didn''t think women belonged in his software engineering course. No surprise I was the only one there. I still got an A in both cases - because I''m very intelligent and was able to learn from the book and further research when the teachers were no good.

Yes, people sufficiently motivated, with a good support system, can ignore harassment. They shouldn''t have to. And people who already have a difficult situation, the harassment can push them over the edge. My mom is a great math wiz. She tried to take it in college - and was pushed away by everyone (in those days, really, everyone) saying no reason for a woman to take up space in college level math classes.

Men are constantly be portrayed as incompetent, in both the bedroom and working world, where as women now get prefered treatment as strong, independent, forward moving people.
Now if some ad company would try to do that to women or some minority the feminist groups, and ACLU would be all over that with law suits and harrassment claims! I think next time I see an ad that portrays men in that manner the ACLU should stand up for mens rights or someone with the finacial back file a class action law suit to uphold a mans rights and dignity!

[asinine1]

I can definitely understand that most of the thins on that list are improper behaviors.

However, those of you who believe "receiving unwanted romantic attention from a male" is in itself a form of sexual harassment have absolutely no clue what it is like being a young man. First, he is told he has to "make the first move" and "be persistent." If she accepts, then great. Otherwise, is he to be viewed as somehow deviant for daring to bother her with his affection?

Maybe she just wants to be friends we naively accept because, of course, he really likes her and wants to be her friend. It works for awhile, but all the time, she grows farther and farther apart because she already knows the extent of how he really feels and this makes her "uncomfortable."

As long as humans have been on earth, males have been attracted to females, and vice versa and it isn''t always reciprocated. Unless he starts doing the other stuff on the list, please don''t treat him like some kind of pervert just because he likes you.

[asinine1]

I can definitely understand that most of the thins on that list are improper behaviors.

However, those of you who believe "receiving unwanted romantic attention from a male" is in itself a form of sexual harassment have absolutely no clue what it is like being a young man. First, he is told he has to "make the first move" and "be persistent." If she accepts, then great. Otherwise, is he to be viewed as somehow deviant for daring to bother her with his affection?

Maybe she just wants to be friends he naively accepts because, of course, he really likes her and wants to be her friend. It works for awhile, but all the time, she grows farther and farther apart because she already knows the extent of how he really feels and this makes her "uncomfortable."

As long as humans have been on earth, males have been attracted to females, and vice versa and it isn''t always reciprocated. Unless he starts doing the other stuff on the list, please don''t treat him like some kind of pervert just because he likes you.

[dan9111]

"Funny how those who never have to deal with it, or perpetrate it are always so quick and defensive to say it doesn''''t exist, or is no big deal."
Posted by SusanHelit

The same is true with genital mutilation. Enduring a foolish comment is easier than having a lifelong physical scar in the crotch. The feminist champions of "gender equality" are suddenly silent and brutal to their own when they prefer to mutilate their son and not their daughter.

Funny how quick they are to intentionally inflict lopping off foreskins and then get defensive about perpetrating clear child abuse. The hoax of women-as-victim is done and over.

[dr_j_g]

cbscrash07- If someone points put faults of your society it is racist, but you have a legal permission from God to comment on a nation you never lived in or even visited? You have dating agencies and ads too, not so different from trying to find someone through various channels as in India with systematic search - but you have wool pulled over your eyes in name of love while you ad for swf or whatever and pretend it is love. Very few people find love, most find someone congenial and attractive of similar interests if they are lucky, and nobody can afford to wait to find love unless they don''t care about children or even marriage, since God doesn''t guarantee you will find your soulmate befoer you are ninety-five if then. You have pride in your total lack of support system for women socially to find a person when they are ready, but no concern about lack of security for young women in education or careers, and none for young mothers either in marriage or even in divorce; not even protection from a partner kicking or generally attacking a pregnant woman, or an employer verbally abusing and/or firing a pregnant employee. You really think you can comment on an ancient society surviving and doing well in respects you have not heard of?

[asinine1]

The feminist champions of "gender equality" are suddenly silent and brutal to their own when they prefer to mutilate their son and not their daughter...The hoax of women-as-victim is done and over.
Posted by Dan9111

I don''t think there is any question that overall, women are treated worse than men, especially in poorer. I don''t think genital mutilation has anything to do with this topic anyway.

P.S. everyone, I''m sorry about the triple post, earlier, it was unintentional.

The same is true with genital mutilation. Enduring a foolish comment is easier than having a lifelong physical scar in the crotch. The feminist champions of "gender equality" are suddenly silent and brutal to their own when they prefer to mutilate their son and not their daughter.

Funny how quick they are to intentionally inflict lopping off foreskins and then get defensive about perpetrating clear child abuse. The hoax of women-as-victim is done and over.

Posted by Dan9111 at 02:53 PM : May 15, 2008

===

You are way off base if you think that feminists are more likely to circumcise than other women of the same religion, background, etc. People circumcise their sons because it is considered normal, or even required, by the culture, and because the dad wants him to "look like me".
Feminism has been a major part of the move away from circumcision in the US.

[dan9111]

Feminism has been a major part of the move away from circumcision in the US.

Posted by ge556

Against women, nobody is allowed to ask the harrasser "why" they were motivated, or use that as an excuse or alternative to the "discrimination theory". We are told the intentions do not matter. Regarding feminists, what rubbish. Gender feminists have actively blocked access to men to receive treatment for domestic violence (under VAWA). They most certainly have deaf ears when it comes to male pain. If you read "School Success by Gender: A Catalyst for the Masculinist Discourse", this tax-paid feminism report basically identifies anti-circumcision groups as "hate groups". Clearly there is denial concerning harassment of males by females who think they are entitled to mutilate.

Additionally, it is hard to take seriously the feminist who protests "unwanted attention", yet has clearly inflicted sexual violence on her own son. Once she inflicts harassment (as only the victim can define!), it is useless for her to argue for morality.

[shanev137]

Everyone should just become gay and we''ll never have to worry about this anymore.

[hypnotoad72]

Everyone should just become gay and we''''ll never have to worry about this anymore.

Posted by shanev137
------------------

And all die of AIDS? No thank you.

I maintain, bring back public school dress code and rules; like they once were 50 years ago. Harsh, maybe, but nobody complained about outfits, carried arms, drugs, or even chewing gum...

[shanev137]

Posted by hypnotoad72 at 04:51 PM : May 15, 2008


Good luck with that hypno. Your plan will make many lawyers very rich.

"Codes, rules and discipline" are viewed as a form of abuse that people sue over now.

Btw....anyone can get aids. You should know that by now.

[staycalm]

Sexual harassment and sexism are two different things! Sexism is when females are prevented from participating in a traditionally male endeavor simply because of their gender. Sexual harassment is unwanted sexual attention. It is a lack of respect for a female''s privacy and a dehumanization of her as a person. At least fifty percent of the songs kids listen to are a glorification of sexual harassment except that their lyrics try to make it sound like the female wants it, or at least that''s the male fantasy. It should come as no surprise that kids will act out what they listen to all day. I have seen young girls refer to themselves as *** and laugh in a kind of impotent surrender to this culture that has overwhelmed them. I hear them talk about hooking up and realize that they have never been asked out on a date. They have never had a boy get up the courage to call them and ask them out, save some money to pay for dinner and a movie, pick them up and take them back home...all the things that made their mothers and grandmothers feel special. It''s become a "Girls Gone Wild" world because girls don''t know any other way to be. Through it all I ask, "Where are the adults?" By adult I don''t mean a grown-up who tries to act cool, I mean a grown-up with some maturity who''s not afraid to speak out and risk being jeered at because what''s at stake here is the future of our world, the future of our daughters who we once treasured as our little angels, now grown up and expected to be porn stars.

[bm6005]

In addition, more than three-fourths of girls (76 percent) said they had also heard such discouraging comments about their athletic ability.

Have you idiots ever heard what boys say to boys who are awkward at athletics? It has nothing to do with gender.

[percival08]

First as a guy, want to say that I totally understand the offensiveness of many of the things mentioned in this article. No one should have to put up with sexual harassment or unfair treatment. To all the guys, if any of us have every done such things, we need to take responsibility for how our actions affect others and do better. Also, as someone who is currently in college in the field of education, particularly disturbing is unfair treatment of girls from professional educators who should absolutely know better!

Having said that, I also take major issue with the assertion that "receiving unwanted romantic attention from a male" somehow automatically equals sexual harassment. If what the authors actually meant was "REPEATEDLY receiving unwanted romantic attention from the SAME male" (after telling him you are not interested), then yes, that would be harassment. But simply being asked by someone you%u2019re not interested in is NOT harassment.

[bluestardad]

REGISTER FOR THE DRAFT WHEN YOU TURN 18 LIKE MEN HAVE TO...AND SERVE IN THE MILITARY FOR THE RIGHTS YOU NOW ENJOY!

EQUAL RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES!

AMERICA STAND UP OR SHUT UP!

[bluestardad]

LETS SEE IF THE ACLU WILL SUPPORT WOMEN REGISTERING FOR THE DRAFT WHEN THEY TURN 18 LIKE MEN HAVE TO!

[neo267-2009]

"Unwanted attention from a male" means "I''m out of his league and he''s too stupid to know it."

[theantirick]

"Unwanted attention from a male" means "I''''m out of his league and he''''s too stupid to know it."

Posted by Neo267 at 07:53 PM : May 15, 2008

so is it that hard to tell him that or give him a nasty look??? that usually stops the advances at you??

Every woman has to learn how to say no at some point in their lives. sooner the better (up to a certain point tho lmao). Its the nature of men and woman. Basically every mans goal in said day is to get laid and it wont happen unless we try.
The female in every species of animal picks their suitor from crowd gawking at them.

But like someone else said women want men to make the first move to initiate everything yet get mad we do if you dont like us.

ps if the guy is persistent and thinks you are playing hard to get just efing say you have no chance with me just give up and have fun in your dreams....

[skinnyminny2]

Any unwanted physical attention can be resolved with a swift a$$-kicking (worked for me...and I was a small girl). Better to be known as the one who might bust you up than the one to pick on.

[primilioneah]

I am starting to wonder if or why the Republican Party has run out of ideas that can help move forward this country.

[hypnotoad72]

I shall reiterate: School uniforms. Do not allow fraternizing of students (same or opposite gender, so the fringe groups can''t whine either). Do not allow disobedience.

We didn''t have all these kid problems back in the day when they were slapped on the wrist for *gasp* chewing gum. Now they can do much more than wear offensive heavy metal t-shirts and nobody bats an eye. Our society DOES have problems and FEW want to mention any solutions. Why? Because they get lambasted by a bunch of non-thinking doorknobs, that''s why!

[hypnotoad72]

But like someone else said women want men to make the first move to initiate everything yet get mad we do if you dont like us.

ps if the guy is persistent and thinks you are playing hard to get just efing say you have no chance with me just give up and have fun in your dreams....

Posted by theantirick
------------------------------

And men need to understand women have the right to say "no". It''s called "civility". Sexual feelings are a part of life. It is NOT "repression" to have consideration for other people. And while some conservatives are caught being hypocrites, the "liberals" who say "sexual repression is wrong!" totally forget that pesky concept of consideration for others, mostly because it contradicts "accept our lifestyle of polygamy, threesomes, disease spreading orgies, and my favorite horse!"