May 15, 2008
(WebMD) Despite strides in gender equality most teenage girls continue to experience sexual harassment at home, school, and on the playing field.Sexual Harassment A Hurdle For Teen Girls
Study: Teenage Girls Often Subjected To Unwanted Romantic Advances, Academic Sexism
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.
By Jennifer Warner
Reviewed by Louise Chang
©2005-2008 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved.
Best-selling author Mitch Albom on his first nonfiction work since "Tuesdays with Morrie."
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See all 41 Commentsps 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!"
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!
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....
EQUAL RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES!
AMERICA STAND UP OR SHUT UP!
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.
Have you idiots ever heard what boys say to boys who are awkward at athletics? It has nothing to do with gender.
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.
Posted by shanev137
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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...
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.
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
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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