Children Fighting Sexual Harassment

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Children Fighting Sexual Harassment

Considering a lot of sexual harassment goes by unreported, unaddressed and unpunished, the impact on the victims can be very traumatic, especially when the victims are children who feel defenseless against their predators.

Different societies address and deal with sexual harassment in different ways, and unfortunately many cases go unreported and unaddressed in many societies worldwide. Sometimes it's because of shame and stigma, sometimes it's because the victims are disbelieved. Other times the families cover such incidences up because they don't want their family names to be stigmatized forgetting that the victim may be traumatized sometimes for life because of their experiences.

Sometimes though, a person who has been exposed to continuous trauma, especially those who have tried to seek help or intervention without any forthcoming, might be pushed to the point of feeling they have no alternative but to defend themselves in ways they feel reasonable to protect and assure their personal safety.

In the U.S. a person depending on the situation [and not necessary in sexual harassment incidences], usually a person may feel free to defend him or herself in ways they deem appropriate, so far the method they employ is not premeditated or intended to murder without a feeling of real and eminent threat to their life. The use of deadly force is what may be questionable and debatable depending on the circumstances, in cases were major injury has been inflicted. Likewise, Nigeria and other nations have their own laws, equally designed to protect their citizens.

While parents and guardians have a moral obligation to protect their children from falling prey to predators and being victimized, sometimes they might not be available or present when such incidences occur. Worse more, they may not have developed sufficient rapport with their children, wherein the children or other children they are entrusted with, feel comfortable enough to discuss such issues and incidences, or their imminent fears with them.

This particular case http://naijapositive.myfastforum.org/about901.html is a result of such incidence going unaddressed, wherein a teenager is left to defend herself. In this cited case, hopefully this will be a deterrent to him and other bastards like him and stop them from continuously sexually harassing other girls/women.

I can't blame the girl for defending herself from someone who threatened to beat her up for thwarting his unwelcome sexual harassment. Considering how vulnerable and defenseless young girls facing similar predicaments feel, especially when they seek help and get none, those who feel forced to empower themselves against such threats usually feel cornered and eventually react out of fear for their safety and in self defense.

I personally believe she was probably only considering how she could defend herself instead of what the results would be when she made the decision to deter him. If he had succeeded in raping and impregnating her against her will, would that be considered excessive, or would she be expected to carry the stigma for life?

I hope the Nigerian society would endeavour to better educate its citizens to be more sensitive to such issues, while better protecting their youth, and that environments that foster open and trusting relationship wherein a child or youth, or even an adult can report sexual harassers, without fear of abandonment or backlash, will increase rather than be stifled.

Cxsm
11th Sept. '07

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