high school

Bev

In my first year of high school a senior boy sat behind me in freshman history (clearly a winner) and made overtly sexual and offensive comments to me in my ear, in a really disgusting whisper so no one else could hear. He would describe the things he wanted to do to me, things I had never even done with another boy. The harassment went on until I finally started skipping the class to avoid it, not knowing how to report it, having had no support or education on how to confront a situation like this. Finally my counselor asked me why I wasn’t going to class and told her why. It was too late to make up the work, I would have to take the class over next year. They put me in a study hall for the rest of the semester with other kids who had skipped class, where I was again sexually harassed by yet another boy. The entire thing set me back a semester in credits and they put my picture in the freshman section of the yearbook the following year. Eventually the teacher of that class asked me to take an advanced history class the following year, which I passed with flying colors.

Molly

My guy friends regularly us pussy as an insult an call girls sluts and I always feel too uncomfortable to tell them to stop because I don’t have a lot of friends and I’m afraid I would lose them by being a “pussy bitch” about it

Señora

I am a high school teacher and I currently mentor someone new to the profession. They and I were working in our shared office when a senior administrator (male) came into to talk to my colleague about a student. The administrator mentioned that he had already arranged for one of our (male) colleagues to tutor this student. At this point I perked up because my department has a history of assigning plum tutoring assignments to certain men. I informed him that I was next in line for a tutoring job. He looked at me, smiled, and said, “Oh, no. I’ve already chosen Pedro (another colleague in the department) for this job. The student that needs to be tutored is a big guy, and so is Pedro. I want Pedro to teach this student how to be a big man, physically, on campus. He needs to learn how to be a big man.” I was left at a loss for words, so I sat there with my mouth agape. The administrator walked over to me, put his arm around me (we are not close), squeezed, looked at the person I am mentoring, smiled, and said “(my name) didn’t like my gendered comment.” And then he left my office. I reported this exchange to another senior administrator, and was told that “it is being addressed.” I don’t know what that means.

R

A few days ago, there was a protest in my city against rape culture. It had been organized by two high school girls, after an incident involving several high school boys (from an all-boys school), in which they had made frankly terrifying and degrading remarks about certain female teachers at the school along with women in general. I attended this protest, which was held in front of our country’s parliament, as so many are. As you can imagine, there were plenty of members of the press there, along with what I imagine were freelance photographers. It appeared on the news that night, as a main story. Here I am, two days later, seeing online articles being published. And the backlash is just horrifying. The newest headline, and I quote, is “Consent education isn’t an attack on boys”. Which is correct, of course. But even this statement is apparently too harsh, even in light of the events that sparked this protest in the first place. I used to think my country was at least a little more progressive than some, but my faith in my own people is seriously dwindling. I’ve seen grown men whining about how they’re “always going to be the rapist”, when it comes to a drunken encounter with an equally-drunken girl. I’ve seen people claiming that we need to tighten our alcohol laws, bear down more on parents when it comes to responsibility, and every excuse in between. Of course, being sober and having responsible parents didn’t help when I was pinned to that bed, silently weeping and sincerely praying for the first time in my life, that I might get out of that room unhurt. Fuck this world. I can’t deal with it anymore.

Kata

I’ll use a pseudonym for this story since I go to a very conservative Christian school that would shame me for even saying this. Anyway, I am a 17 year old female, and on Friday evening, at a high school bowling social that was off-campus that I attended, I was told that my outfit broke dress code. First of all, in all of the high school socials I have attended, both on campus and off, never once have I followed the dress code–not because I’m a rule breaker, but because I simply did not know that it existed. I am a runner, and therefore have an affinity for running shorts that are clearly shorter than my school’s dress code allows. (Dress code overview: no exposed midriffs, shirts/shorts may not be more than two inches above the knee, athletic clothes are not permitted at school unless written permission is granted, no tank tops/spaghetti strap shirts, no cleavage, males may not have piercings, no camouflage, no “distracting” hair…. etc.) I attended the social wearing a tank top that was supposed to be tied in the front. It revealed less than an inch of my midriff. After sitting and bowling at the social, in jeans and my shirt, I walked across the room where the two female teachers who were chaperoning were standing. They called me over and told me i needed to untie my shirt. I did. Then I raised the question: Why? There were at least 10 girls at the social wearing leggings (another dress code violation), jean booty shorts, running shorts, tank tops, or some combination of those. There were also two males wearing bro tanks, and nearly all of the males were in athletic shorts. Yet I was the only person reprimanded for wearing something inappropriate. This was, as I was told, because I could easily change it. The teachers were not only cold and disrpectful when they told me to “fix” myself, but also confrontational. My best friend accidentally walked into my lecture, and obviously helped defend me. I was then dismissed, and my other best friend came over and the three of us discussed the incident and how unjust it was. The teachers noticed we were talking, made the (albeit correct) assumption that we were talking about what had just happened. Not only were they confrontational verbally, but they scoffed at my friends and I, rolled their eyes, and made outlandish remarks. Most notably was that “We are a community. The expectation is that you dress modestly. Guys are very visual, and when you dress like that, you cause them to sin”. I was shocked and very much disgusted that a woman would blame the perverted potential sexual actions of men on my choice to wear clothes that I like, so much that I asked for clarification. The same statement was repeated. I was horrified. As a young woman, I am no more than a sexual object that perverts the actions of men, at least in the eyes of my conservative Christian high school.

Julia

Today a classmate (who I generally consider a friend) and I were talking during free work time in class. I don’t remember exactly how it happened, but somehow the conversation got around to pregnancy. He mentioned he felt sorry for me; he was glad he wouldn’t have to go through giving birth and everything. I said “Who says I want kids?” I’m 15. I don’t need to know yet. He said “Unless your husband tranquilizes you and rapes you.” I didn’t know what to say. I wanted to slap him, but I was just stunned. I couldn’t believe he said that. I still can’t believe he said that. Just all matter-of-fact. So I said “That’s not funny, (his name). “OK.” “No, I mean that’s really not acceptable.” He just kind of shrugged and turned around. He didn’t even apologize. I don’t know what to do. It’s not even that big a deal. It’s not like he threatened me. But 3 hours later, I still felt like I’d been punched in the gut and couldn’t quite catch my breath. Later I tried to tell a friend. I couldn’t tell her what he’d said. I knew she’d support me, but I couldn’t bring myself to say the words. He’s in almost all my classes. It took me nearly half an hour to write this. I cried as I did. I just can’t believe it.

Anonymous

I spent my entire high school years walking the long way to school because during my second semester as a freshman a large construction project on the direct road to school started and I began to receive negative attention from the construction workers on my to and from classes five days a week. I was fourteen.

Lisa

In my high school my guy “friend” always points out that I am a girl. He says, “Girls first,” etc.

Anonymous

At my high school, I overheard a group of boys laughing and looking at a picture on their phone. Curious, I leaned over and saw that it was a picture from my friend’s instagram they were looking at. They were laughing and making comments like ” look at her tits” and ‘What a slut”. My friend is 14 years old.

Anonymous

At my high school, I overheard a group of boys laughing and looking at a picture on their phone. Curious, I leaned over and saw that it was a picture from my friend’s instagram they were looking at. They were laughing and making comments like ” look at her tits” and ‘What a slut”. My friend is 14 years old.