Importance Of Anti-Rape And Anti-Sexual Harassment Program
It has come to my attention that the schoolboard is overlooking the more critical issues amongst today’s teenage society. While the educational system is more promptly concerned with uniform policies and standardized test scores, our students are being drugged and molested, abused and raped, traumatized for life, just under our noses, and on a regular basis as well. Not only do we as a whole just bat our eyelashes sympathetically and thank the stars it wasn’t us, but we don’t lift a finger to help these poor children in need of attention more than ever. It is with genuine sympathy and understanding of their suffering that I propose the schoolboard implements an anti-rape and anti-sexual harassment program as soon as possible.
As mothers and fathers of the students attending public high schools, it is only natural that society expects their children to learn in a safe and composed environment. However, these same students who bring home straight As and become the star players of the soccer teams are leading a second life of which their families are unaware: a sex life. As our students experiment and indulge in sexual activity earlier and earlier, the risks of rape and harassment only get higher and higher, and the student body can become just as gritty as the streets of New York City. The sad irony of the situation lies in the naivety of the parents: “You must be joking! My child, having sex? He/she isn’t at risk for anything.” Media and society push the boundaries of what is allowed, what is normal and acceptable. Not only do these reasons deter teens from the path of abstinence, but they make rape and harassment all the less cause for alarm amongst the students themselves.
In regards to the rape itself, trickery and deceit on a date is all it takes to traumatize a student for life. Oftentimes, the rape itself occurs prior to the harassment. This deadly combination can utterly shatter a victim should it be delivered intensely enough, as was the case with Melinda Sordino. As an example, a rape at a summer party stunned her into silence, and, in the midst of her trauma, she was shunned by her peers for alerting law enforcement. Our own children encounter these horrific scenarios, and yet the schoolboard only turns a blind eye, leaving them to their suffering without even offering a helping hand.
It is for these reasons that I propose the following solutions: a decent start would be addressing the issue more seriously, be it district-wide “Speak Up” campaigns or simple encouragement and reminders that guidance counselors and other authorities are available. Alternatives or secondary steps can include more rigorous investigation of suspected offenders and subtle intervention provided for suspected victims as well. Adding a Life Circumstances class to teach prevention and self-defense methods, as well, is highly recommended.
As much as we care for and love our students and families, it is essential we provide for them in these days when the chances of a rape or a case of harassment is higher than ever. After all, only the students can speak up about what they’ve seen and felt. Now it is society’s turn to listen to what they have to say. As David Petrakis would say, “you have to know what you stand for, not just what you stand against.”
