Female harassment, an unspoken epidemic

Schools often state that student safety remains their top priority. With all our security measures in place, outside trouble hardly ever finds its way into NC. Recent events however, show our school’s students—specifically female students—face more danger within these walls. Every day, countless girls face sexual harassment, and every day the boys responsible receive little to no punishment for their unacceptable actions.

According to Cobb County Board Policy and presented in our student handbook, “Sexual Harassment…is inappropriate and has no place in a safe school environment…Students violating this policy are subject to administrative parent/guardian conference, out of school suspension to a maximum of permanent expulsion, and notification to law enforcement officials.” This rule clearly appears in every NC Student Handbook, but compared to others, like dress code violations or bus conduct, this policy often goes ignored by both teachers and students. Here we see concrete statements explaining how sexual harassment proves unacceptable and calls for disciplinary actions. Yet on a daily basis, these boys receive no punishment for their blatant disregard and disrespect.

Some will argue our school lacks a sexual harassment problem. If no girls report it, it never happened, right? If harassment became a visible and public problem, administration would quickly address and end it, right? NC’s female student body begs to differ.

I polled 130 girls from around the school, ranging in age, grade, and background. 84 percent of girls said they were sexually harassed at least once by a boy at school. When questioning the girls at lunch, they all gave me shocked expressions as if to say “Are you kidding? Of course that has happened!” Some seemed confused by my questions until I explained further, and then they shamefully raised their hands. No one wanted to acknowledge the terrible truth. One group of girls all claimed they never experienced such slurs and actions against them. I wanted to believe them. I wanted to believe that some girls at this school never experienced unwanted remarks from boys. In fact, I did believe them, until one girl whispered, “Aren’t girls used to it by now?”

Girls should not have to become accustomed to lude comments, inappropriate touching, and unwanted attention from anyone. These words and actions extend beyond rude remarks from random boys. They have created an entire culture of fear and anxiety.  We worry whether a boy will grab our butts or look up our skirts as we race up the stairs to class. We wonder if our simple trip to the restroom will turn into a dangerous encounter. We walk around feeling frightened of what words might come from the next boy’s mouth.

When I asked girls to share their experiences, they willingly explained what happened to them, but once I asked if I could publish it, they all refused to provide their names. One girl even told me she was afraid the boys would “jump her” for telling people. For their safety, I allowed the girls to remain anonymous.

“I was walking to lunch with my friend, and this large group of boys passed by us. One of them decided to thrust at us while we continued to walk forward. We told them off as they walked away. In return, he shouted ‘Man, shut the f**k up.’ I was outraged and genuinely confused,” a senior girl said.

“Two days in a row, the same guy slapped my butt when I walked up the stairs to class. Each time he would say ‘I’d tap that a**’ and keep walking,” a freshman girl said.

“Once my friend and I were leaving school in her car, and this guy in a bus stuck his head out the window and shouted the most vulgar and disgusting sentences at us. I won’t repeat them, but he asked us to do things with our mouths and private areas. The next day, he was in my fourth period class and acted like nothing happened,” a senior girl explained.

“Two boys on my bus always poked my butt when I got off the bus. I was too scared to say anything to them or tell anyone about it,” a junior said.

These stories show only a few examples of harassment that many girls face on a daily basis. Most of the time, girls will not report harassment, and if they have the courage to tell someone, they fear skepticism from teachers and administration, even when the policies in place are supposed to protect them. Meanwhile, the boys who harassed them go on with little to no punishment or consequence because people are not talking about the issue. This must end now.

Sexual harassment must stop being viewed as commonplace in school environments. We need to stop victim blaming girls and give them support. We need to stop making excuses for disrespectful boy’s unacceptable actions and show them  harassment is wrong.