Kasey Edwards
Thousands of women have shared stories of the first time they were targeted sexually by men, with some saying they were as young as eight years old.
The women were responding to a question posted on the popular social networking and news site Reddit which asked ‘Women of Reddit, when did you first notice that men were looking at you in a sexual way? How old were you and how did it make you feel?’
The question went viral, attracting more than 21,000 comments within a day.
While some of the responses detailed stories of boys leering down girls’ tops and wolf whistles in the street, many more documented far more predatory behaviour.
One contributor told of how, at the age of eight, she was followed around a Kmart store by a man after he ogled at her. Read more
Reprinted with permission – Kasey Edwards and Daily Life
4 Responses
Notice too it wasn’t just adult men who sexually harassed/sexually preyed on girls but also boys.
Now await Reditt to ask men ‘when did you first notice women were looking at you in a sexual way?’ After all given women have supposedly achieved equality (on mens’ terms of course) not asking men would be sex discrimination against men!
Question concerning why males of all ages are enacting the same male pseudo sex right to females of all ages must now be asked. But this won’t happen because that would rightly put focus on male power and how mens’ Male Supremacist System renders invisible how boys swiftly learn that because their sex is male this automatically means they have (pseudo) male sex right to sexually prey on women and girls.
Yes I said ‘male sex right to sexually prey on women and girls’ because males sexually leering at girls/women; males treating women and girls as dehumanised sexualised commodities is male sexual predation – not ‘male ogling; male groping; or even ‘males supposedly complimenting girls on their sexual hotness to men!’
They’d also have to think about their porn. And that would be swerfery.
For me – I was 11. Whistles and comments from middle aged men.
I once carried a carton of beer to the car for my parents (yes there are a few levels of inappropriate there) I can’t remember the comments word for word, but a man nearby whistled and said something along the lines of being the perfect woman, except at this time I was 12 years old.
In retrospect – it may have been when I was 5 or 6 years old. Two men tried to lure me away from a campsite, my parents weren’t that far away but they were occupied with other tasks. The men disappeared as soon as I said i would need to ask my parents if I could go.
My daughter has reported being ogled by male customers in her workplace from the time she began working at age 14. One in particular was especially keen on making sure she knew he was staring at her backside, thats how bold they are and certain that there are no consequences for their actions. When i ask how old these men are i’m always told they’re men over 30 years old, some much older than that.
Gosh…a piano teacher. I was 10, he was the ultimate sleaze bag, he was about 20. He’d sit right next to me, touching my leg, I could smell his breath & his sweat, he’d undress me with my eyes. He knew he was creeping me out & got off on it. He used to laugh & rub himself. Hence after telling my dear yet naive mother several times, I found out my guitar teacher also taught piano, lovely man, so I went back to him & succeeded with piano & guitar. I have heard of so many similar stories. Haven’t we all.
I wonder if they have to have the ‘working with children’ check? They should!!!