The AAUW Report on Sexual Harassment in school was released yesterday and includes devastating data about the prevalence and serious consequences of sexual harassment for kids in Middle and High School. Although boys face significant harassment when they don't conform to norms of masculinity, overall girls encounter a higher rate of frequency and find the harassment more disturbing than boys do. It is essential that we find language to talk with kids about their experiences and name sexual and gender based harassment as sexism rather than as bullying - the report found that very few kids reported their experience to adults while it was happening, leaving them to make meaning and cope alone.
I would LOVE a study group / soiree / night at the bar to really talk through what this means for us as a community, our kids, ourselves... Download it or see the executive summary on the AAUW site.
Connected (I suspect) is more analysis about how much violence, sexualization and gender stereotyping occurs in mass media - A documentary out of the Women's Media Center titled Miss Representation is being screened tonight at USM (7pm, Wishcamper Center, $10) - I hope maybe we could have an FSP forum or evening screening after the holidays? (Let me know if there is interest)
Miss Representation 8 min. Trailer 8/23/11 from Miss Representation on Vimeo.
