Categorized as: teens

Street Harassment the Uncomfortable Walk

Before reading those stories, and posting, I accepted it as the norm to get harassed all the time.” (Hollaback participant, 2012) –

Now we all can admit that hearing “That I Notice You” whistle or look might actually brighten up your day, but what can you do if it progresses into an uncomfortable situation: whistle blowing, hisses and the stares. Many do not understand what is the ‘Big Deal”. Non-contact unwanted sexual experiences were the most common form of sexual violence experienced by both women and men.

Event though the assailant is not being physical public harassment is still pretty close to your Personal Safety Zone. The assailant might not even notice they are speaking the language of Sexual Terrorism. It could all be apart of their Social Anxiety Defense Mechanism stemming from low self-esteem.

Street Harassment on College Campuses
Recently the company behind the Hollaback! App collected 282 undergraduate, graduate and part-time college students and 44 college administrators on campuses from the urban, suburban and rural U.S. to find out how harassment exists in spaces of higher education.
• Students are being harassed on their college campuses (67% of students experienced harassment),
• Harassment is limiting student’s ability to benefit from education,
• Current campus systems and processes are insufficient.
• Over 99 percent of women report facing some form of street harassment.
• 95 percent of women report being the target of leering or excessive staring at least once.
• More than 37 percent of women have had a stranger masturbate at or in front of them at least once in public.
• Nearly 57 percent of women reported being touched or grabbed in a sexual way by a stranger in public.
• Over 77 percent of women said they were the targets of kissing noises from men.
• About 62 percent of women say a man has purposely blocked their path at least once.
• About 27 percent of women report being assaulted at least once in public by a stranger.

“But I found myself forcing myself to bring it up and to tell people about it and to, even like, people I wouldn’t normally tell this to, like my Dad… Hollaback cultured my feeling that this should be shared.”
The only way we can become a fighting voice for all of those who cannot.

Sources: http://www.ihollaback.org/
SOURCES: Stop Street Harassment, Feministe/Patrick McNeil, Center for American Progress

Know Your Limits, Be Prepared

It’s crazy that the month of April is already here, huh? The bees are buzzing, flowers are blooming, and the trees seem to look less and less naked each day.  While April is one of my favorite months of the year because of its natural beauty, I also realized that it is Sexual Assault Awareness month.  According to https://www.rainn.org/statistics, “80% of sexual assault victims are under age 30.” That’s FOUR out of every FIVE people who have been through an attempted or completed assault by age 30.  When I think about all the things I want to accomplish by that time, I can’t imagine a sexual assault getting in the way.  Even if you have never been through something so traumatic, someone you know has.  Here are some tips to prevent and lessen your chances of sexual assault:

  • Avoid drinking/doing drugs at parties.  You don’t want your common sense to be hindered.

  • Be aware that many sexual assaults occur even when the victim knows the perpetrator.

  • Never leave cups of alcohol unattended at parties, as perpetrators may see this as an opportunity to slip a drug called Rohipnol, or roofies, into the drink unsuspectingly.

Remember that if you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted you can talk to a friend, parent, counselor, or police about the incident.  If you’d rather keep it private or need advice on how to take the next step, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-4673.

Play It Safe On Spring Break

It’s that time of year again; time to shop for the perfect bikini and work toward a perfectly toned beach body.  Why? Spring break 2014, of course. Majority of college spring-breakers will choose a destination near the beach.  While this is a great opportunity to relieve the stress of school work, safety should remain a top priority.  Whether your destination of choice is in the United States or abroad, something could happen in the blink of an eye that could change your life forever.  Safespringbreak.org has some excellent tips for spring breakers, even some that are not so obvious:

  • When reserving a hotel room, opt for a room above the 1st floor and below the 6th floor.

  • Drink alcohol in moderation while on the beach, as sun maximizes effects of alcohol.

  • Avoid drinking while in a hot tub, as the effects can be felt much quicker and cause you to pass out.

Don’t become another statistic among the spring break world. Many of the horrible incidents that make headlines could have easily been avoided with a little bit of common sense.  Taking a self-defense class is a great way to be even more prepared for anything.  View our calender to see the list of classes that we offer, and reserve your spot today!

Domestic Violence by The #’s

—Honor Killing: In the Middle East and South Asia 20,0000 women lose their lives to honor killings. An Honor Killing is the belief of justifiable murder, because a family member has brought dishonor to the family name and image.

Pulled from the Domestic Violence Pintrest board, these various infographics show domestic violence in teen relations, domestic violence against women, and some startling facts regarding international mind-sets. The first infographic, A Dangerous Gap shows 34% of parents report verbal abuse relationships, while a whooping 62% of tweens report verbal abuse. Early this month, National Teen Dating Violence Month, Divas in Defense shared some blog post that could help parents identify the signs of abuse in teen relationships.

What do India, Ethiopia, Iraq, and Jordan all have in common? The majority of their female population believes it is okay for their husbands to physically assault them. This study was conducted with the help of Unicef. A glimpse at the infographic will show the majority of these countries or Middle Eastern countries and third world economies. No doubt religion, sparse economic activity, and overall patriarchal institutions all play a role to some varying degree.

 Found on loveinfographics.com

 Found on visualrights.tacticaltech.org

Found on blog.mapsofworld.com

 

 

Teen Girls, 5 Tips of Protection

 

Last Monday, Divas In Defense provided information to parents and the alike on the warning signs an adolescent woman may be in a dangerous relationship. Now that the warning signs have been unveiled, we’d like to provide you with tips on how girls can protect themselves. Because roughly 1.5 million U.S. high school students report being harmed in the last year, education on prevention and protection are important. Dosomething.org reports a study from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) stating “Teens who suffer dating abuse are subject to long-term consequences like alcoholism, eating disorders, promiscuity, thoughts of suicide, and violent behavior.” With 8 states having no legislation on the books regarding violent dating relationships as domestic abuse, it is important that teens are told how to protect themselves. With teens are unable to legally file domestic abuse charges against violent partners, consequently, they are unable to get restraining orders. Below are five great tips on how teen girls can protect themselves.

1.      If someone invades your space, forget about being a “nice girl”.

2.      Stay sober in social situations.

3.      Forgo any type of relationship with men who speak negatively.

4.      Have alternate transportation incase the date is not going appropriately

5.      Trust your gut. 

 

GET HELP

If you or someone you know is a victim or emotional, physical, and/or sexual abuse, seek help. If you are the abused party, the witness of the abuse, or the abuser please speak with an adult in your life or call the National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline at 1-866-331-9474 (1-866-331-8453 for the hearing impaired) or online at www.loveisrespect.org. Help is immediate, local, accessible 24/7, and confidential.

Teen Abuse: 5 Warning Signs for Parents

      

Too often, scars are not only physical; they are commonly psychological scrapes and bruises used to intimidate and break the soul of a person. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention conducted a study that estimates 9% of all teens are victims of dating abuse. Due to maturity levels, most teens have a hard time discerning heated relationship spats or constructive criticism from emotional or mental abuse. As a parent, friend, relative, or mentor of young girls actively engaged in dating it is important to watch for the warning signs of emotional abuse at the hands of a partner. ABC’s 20/20 compiled a list of warning signs that she’s dating an active abuser or potential abuser.

1.       Isolation: Before she met him she had a more active social, school, and/or religious life.

2.       Intimidation: He may not physically harm her, yet frequently breaks or hits inanimate objects.

3.       Degrading “jokes”: He may call her a demeaning pet name, then laugh it off in jest.

4.       Critical: Constant criticism of appearance, talents, or abilities.

5.       Imitation: He may come from a “tragic” home life of abuse as a witness or victim.

The results of abuse manifest themselves in various ways. One common result, is what 1 in 4 girls says, is pressured sex, according to a study conducted by stayteen.org. Some professionals amount the behavior of mental or emotional abuse to pressure partners into sexual intercourse as ‘psychological induced’ rape. To protect young women, it is important to arm them with knowledge surrounding the three different types of abuse: physical, emotional, and sexual. One or more of these abuse types may be at play at the time.

 

GET HELP

If you or someone you know is a victim or emotional, physical, and/or sexual abuse, seek help. If you are the abused party, the witness of the abuse, or the abuser please speak with an adult in your life or call the National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline at 1-866-331-9474 (1-866-331-8453 for the hearing impaired) or online at www.loveisrespect.org. Help is immediate, local, accessible 24/7, and confidential.

Is It Time to Intervene Your Teen?

Signs of Dating Abuse In Teens

It’s hard to believe that we’re already into the month of February. In just two short weeks Valentine’s Day will arrive and many couples will celebrate with home-cooked meals for their significant other, heart-shaped boxes of chocolate, and large amounts of conversation hearts. Even though February is a love-filled month, it’s the perfect time to get educated about dating abuse; particularly teen dating abuse.

February is recognized by President Barack Obama as National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention month. One-in-four high school females have been sexually or physically abused, so chances are you have a friend or know someone in an abusive relationship. How can you tell? Here are a few of the signs:

  • – sudden isolation from friends
  • – bodily injuries like cuts or bruises
  • – dramatically different behavior around his/her boyfriend/girlfriend
  • – over-load of texts or calls from significant other wanting to know where they are
  • – excessive surveillance by significant other of texts or calls

If you or someone you know experiences any or all of these signs, don’t be afraid to seek help. Self-defense classes are an excellent way to stay prepared, even in a serious relationship. Divas In Defense offers such classes for teens and young adults, so please check out divasindefense.com for more information.

Visit www.loveisrespect.org for even more information about teen dating abuse statistics, the signs to look for, and how to seek proper help.

Don’t Be Scared, Be Prepared!

February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month

Countless crimes and attacks we see daily through the media can easily make us lose focus of the most common attackers and abusers, those we know. According to the United States Department of Justice, one- eight attacks on women is someone we DO NOT know. This means the other 87.5% are our fathers, brothers, bosses, co-workers, church members, neighbors and significant others.

Unfortunately, we do not always report our loved ones and those we know to local authorities. The inaccuracy of 87.5% truly being in the upper 90s reminds us of the importance of protecting ourselves and our girls.

One in four teen dating relationships are abusive. One in four college aged young women will experience attempted or completed rape. The fear of our little girls growing up is scary enough, even without the reality of the countless crimes they may have to endure. Don’t Be Scared, Be Prepared!

Click here for more information on registering you and/or a teen for self-defense classes.

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