I’m in grade six and on multiple occasions, I have been sexually harassed and assaulted by multiple boys in my class and threatened to be sexually assaulted.
A couple of months ago, my friends and I were playing basketball and he started to make comments about me and my friend’s bodies, saying that we should start shaving, or that we look like sluts in the shorts we were wearing. (Which were regular shorts that I wear often, nothing revealing or crazy tight. None the less he can’t say that at any time, no matter what I’m wearing.)
I thought about the one poem by Rupi Kaur about body hair.
After we were done playing, I went to bring the ball inside to the gym after going outside. He ripped the ball out of my hands and began chucking the ball at me continuously and kicking at my legs. (The rest of the class was inside and only a couple of students were outside, but VERY far away) I screamed for help, but no one came. He yelled at me saying that all I was was a ho and that I should fuck myself. His exact words: “All you are is a fucking ho made to fuck! You motherfucking pussy! You’re just asking for it! (He meant sex. I’m 11 btw.) One day, I’m gonna shove this ball up your ass! Go and fuck yourself!”
I’m very tough, but he is a lot bigger than me and could probably beat me, assault me or rape me. He might not have sexually assaulted me then, but that doesn’t mean that he won’t in a couple of years.
He wouldn’t stop hitting me and yelling and threatening sexual assault until I could get away before he could go further. I should have hit him back, but I was frozen while it was happening. I was able to grab the ball from him and throw it across the pavement. He ran after it and I got away. Now that I recall it, many of the other students saw, this happen and did nothing. When I got inside, I was shaking, too afraid to say anything, even though I’m the person that stands up for everyone, I wasn’t able to stand up for myself. I cried throughout lunch, and, my close friends helped me get ice for the bruises from the ball and where he kicked me. Even though I was traumatized, one for the most frightening thing that happened that day was the fact that no one that saw this happen helped me or told a teacher.
The rest of the day, he pretended everything was normal, even though it wasn’t. My friends and I told the supply teacher. They did nothing because the boy said that he didn’t do it. Later, he told me to: “Shut my goddamned mouth about it, or else.”
I don’t feel safe anymore at school, and this isn’t the first time that it has happened to me and to other girls. I will write more of these as the attacks go on and I will tell my teacher every time that it happens.
For the longest time, I was afraid to say anything about the assault. The true-crime was is that I was silent. Never let a man tell you to be quiet about harassment and assault. Don’t let him put words into your mouths! Stay strong, report and speak out about sexism, misogyny, sexual assault, domestic violence and harassment. Also, it’s never too late to report. Don’t let men make you think that no one will believe you, no one will listen, that it’s just better to be silent. Because it’s not. Don’t let them take away your voice. I