Hi guys!
I hope you’re all doing well. For those of you who have been keeping up with the news you must be aware that there are some extremely pressing issues surfacing. If I’m honest even if you don‘t watch the news there must be other social platforms which you would have heard the situations on. This is a topic which in my opinion has not been highlighted enough. Sexual Harassment. It comes in many forms and is indiscriminate when it comes to genders, ages, class, ethnicity.
Women are highly sexualised within the society we have been brought up in and therefore they are targeted a lot for the way their physicality looks, which clothes are “acceptable” and which are not, how they should act when in public, what they should post on social media, things they should say so that they don’t indirectly give men a certain impression and the list goes on. This is not to say that men do not also get sexually assaulted because we know fair well that they do and that is not to go unnoticed! This is also not to say that all men are pigs (excuse the informality) because we cannot umbrella term all men as predators because a minority of them are.
I would like to address how somebody can be sexually harassed because this does not mean that the individual has to be raped to be labelled a victim. Sexual harassment occurs in many ways:
If somebody is uncomfortable in your presence and have told you to back away and you continue to press on them for sexual activity but they manage to leave this is still classed under sexual harassment.
Making an individual too afraid to say “no” does not mean that you have consent.
If they are uncertain and you continue
Inappropriately taking advantage of an individual in a public or private place
Taking the individuals attire as the “green light”
whistling, staring, deliberately coming close all contribute to harassment of an individual.
Being under the influence and not getting consent
If the individual is unconscious and is therefore unable to give consent.
Rape/attempted rape
Requests for sexual favours
verbal harassment
Unwanted sexual images, videos emails or text messages
You do not get to take advantage of an individual because you want to have a “good time”. You do not get to make the decision for them. What makes a person believe that they are allowed to exploit another? Perhaps, they need a story to tell about how they acted so foolishly and got laid. Do these rapists, sexual predators, abusers not hear that voice in their head telling them right from wrong? Or do they simply chose to ignore it?
Grooming and domestic violence fall under this category if one is forcefully pressurising you to participate in sexual activity with them.
As a young female I can say that I have been sexually harassed and the worst thing is I know that some of you may have as well. So you can relate to how uncomfortable you feel in your own body, the shudder of disgust you feel and the continuing thoughts time and time after. You can not and I will repeat CAN NOT let this control you. You are a successful individual who did not deserve that and because you didn’t deserve it you will most definitely not allow it to control you!
You are a victim and you own that!!
STOP=STOP
Thanks :)
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