Sexual Degradation and Harassment
Women all over the world face the problem of hypersexualization, which is the over sexualization of the female gender based on stereotypes, and sexual harassment. This is also a huge problem for younger girls who are still in school because it lowers their self-esteem and prevents them from speaking out. Studies show that one in four middle schoolers report that they have experienced unwanted verbal and physical sexual harassment (UsNews). Overall, twenty-seven percent of girls report this abuse (UsNews). On a more positive note, there are many organizations working to raise awareness for this problem, but the one that stuck out to me was SPARK, an all-girls organization working together to raise awareness and help girls suffering from this issue.
Sarah explains in her article, ‘Sexualization at an Early Age: A Reflection of Middle-School Life about how when she was in middle school, Sarah Chisholm and other girls her age were constantly picked on and harassed in a very sexual way by the boys in their school. She was cat-called, verbally harassed, and even sometimes brushed up against. Sadly, over time, it was just accepted as something that happened and became a normal occurrence. The worst part was, Sarah says, is that Sarah did not even have the worst of it. Other girls were constantly harassed, their clothes would be pulled, and they would even be groped. Towards the end of her 8th grade year, a rumor that Sarah was pregnant spread around the school, all because she had gained a little weight. This experience was traumatizing for young Sarah. It astounded her that boys her age seemed to have the right to objectify girls at such a young age. A big issue for Sarah and others girls is the fact that they didn't feel like they could fight back because the boys seemed bigger and stronger than them physically. This made Sarah and the other girls who were harassed feel incredibly inferior. The fact that this type of harassment is happening at such a young age is absolutely astounding (APA).
SPARK (Sexualization, Protest, Action, Resistance, Knowledge) Movement is a girl-fueled activist organization working to spread the word about an anti racist gender movement (SPARK Summit). They were founded in 2010 as a response to the APA Task Force on the Sexualization of Girls. By partnering with over 30 organizations working on strategies challenging negative impacts of Sexualization, SPARK was created as a potential solution. SPARK has done a tremendous job raising awareness about the Sexualization of girls and providing a safe place for them to write about their experiences and get helpful feedback and positive support. SPARK works to raise awareness about the hypersexualization of girls, support new research on sexualization, and engage girls as social change agents helping to spread the word about hypersexualization and sexual harassment. You can sign up to become a ‘Squidder’ for SPARK; which is someone who engages in the online community to discuss topics related to feminism and support SPARK’s global campaigns. By signing up with SPARK, you are devoting yourself to an organization dedicated to its work by spreading the word about sexual harassment and hypersexualization through your community and the world.
Hypersexualization and sexual harassment are major problems for young school aged girls. It makes them feel as though they cannot accomplish anything and that they exist merely for the pleasure of men. No one should be forced to feel this way. That is why SPARK was created. SPARK is a safe environment where girls can share their stories and provide advice for others who are experiencing the same harassment. Girls everywhere are starting to take action against this issue and are proving just how unfair this treatment is. No one should have to go through some of the situations that these girls have, which is why we all need to work together to stop these encounters from happening. The degradation of young girls is damaging for the mind and the body. Don’t let this situation continue. Stand up and fight, because no one deserves to feel useless and powerless to help their own situation.
Works Cited
"Sexualization at an early age: A reflection of middle-school life." APA. Fri. 19 Feb. 2016
“SPARK Movement: About Us” SPARK Summit. Sat. 20 Feb. 2016
“Study: Sexual Harassment Frequent Among Middle School Students” USNews. Sat. 20 Feb. 2016