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.

[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
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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!"

[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!

[primilioneah]

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

[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.

[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....

[neo267-2009]

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

[bluestardad]

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

[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!

[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.

[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.