Our cultures sexual pressures leave girls leave dangerously exposed

[WorkingClassMum]

THIS is not just another story about the dangers of sexting, although it starts out that way. It is so much more, and none of it positive.
Several years ago, friends of mine with a teenage daughter came home to find her passed out on the bathroom floor. The 13-year-old had swallowed whatever was in the bathroom cupboard, which, luckily for all, meant she had a stomach full of laxatives and aspirin, which didn't require a hospital pump.
It had shocked the parents that their little girl was depressed. The shy, self-conscious loner had seemed so happy before the incident. She had finally made friends at school and talked of having her first ''boyfriend''.
After the parents reported the matter to the school and demanded an explanation, a tragic story unfolded. Their daughter had been persuaded to send a photo of herself naked to her crush, who promptly sent it to everyone else in his address book, treating it like a swap card. Within hours the photo had spread throughout the school and the next afternoon, the girl went home and ingested the bathroom cabinet contents to shut out her shame.


Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/soc...#ixzz20DTWpbio

[Ffrenchknickers]

((((((

[anewme]

It is so sad. I know we as a family have fought hard for our girls not to fall into that trap. So far we have succeeded but that next dd is going to be lot harder than my die hard feminist was.

[austmum]

How awful I have seen so many parents who just have no idea what their kids are doing on their iPods etc. 9 year olds and younger with unrestricted Internet access in the privacy of their own rooms is asking for trouble Do we really want the Internet and media raising our kids?

[missybubble]

Wow, that whole thing is really sad. The fact that she now thinks it's perfectly normal at 17 is wrong.

I have a 13yo sister, I'd be rather p!ssed off if she was sending nude photos of herself to boys! I hope most girls aren't like the ones described in that article but my guess is it's more common than you realise. Girls should have some self respect.

[Misschief]

This might sound ignorant, but it makes me glad that I do not have a daughter. I don't envy parents who have daughters in this day and age.
The world has lost all morals and I don't see it improving any time soon. I don't think there is a turning back anymore.
Crimes will get more disgusting and horrifying, disasters are getting more intense, the human race is soooooooo doomed.

[Ana Gram]

Building that bubble out the back...

ETA: On a serious note, we should not just focus on how our girls are behaving here. We should also be focusing on how our boys are behaving and where they are learning these behaviours.

[Alexander Beetle]

Yes Ana I was going to say that even though I don't have a daughter, I have as much responsibility to teach my son the correct way to treat girls.

[BabushkaMumma]

As a mother of girls this is constantly on my mind.

I try my hardest to lead by example of viewing our worth as being from the inside but societies images are just everywhere - and women, nay, Tweens are expected to look like porn stars thanks to those smutty monster high and bratz dolls.

So very sad for these girls

[Boobycino]

Yep I have a boy and a girl and I'd be so horrified and sad for my son if he learns about sex and sexuality and respect for women through porn. I think it would probably crush me more if it was my son who shared the photo more so than if it was my daughter who took it. On both counts I think I would feel so so deeply sad for them. And I think I'd feel like I'd failed.

But I don't know how to protect them. I've already got jasper at 3.5 coming home from daycare talking about killing bad people. I can't control what he (and eventually she) is exposed to.

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