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How Can I Protect Myself at School?Questions Young People Ask—Answers That Work, Volume 2
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Coping With Sexual Harassment
If you’re being sexually harassed, you have every right to feel angry! The question is, What can you do about it? Plenty! Here are a few suggestions.
Firmly refuse sexual advances. Aggressors may assume that a halfhearted no really means yes—or at least maybe—unless you convince them otherwise. So let your no mean no. (Matthew 5:37) If you giggle or act coy, even out of initial embarrassment, it could send the wrong message to the harasser. Be firm and direct. That is your best defense!
Make a scene. Young Anita says of her harasser: “I had to embarrass him in front of his friends by loudly telling him NOT to touch me that way!” The result? “All his friends laughed at him. He was very cold for a while, but a few days later, he apologized for his behavior and later even defended me when someone else tried to bother me.”
If words don’t work, walk away. Better yet, run. And if escape isn’t possible, you have the right to fend off molestation. (Deuteronomy 22:25-27) Says one Christian girl, “When a boy tried to grab me, I punched him just as hard as I could, and I ran!”
Tell someone. “That’s what I finally had to do,” admits 16-year-old Adrienne. “I asked my parents for advice on the situation when a boy I thought of as a good friend just wouldn’t leave me alone. The more I protested, the more persistent he became, almost as if it were a game.” Adrienne’s parents had practical advice that helped her cope with the problem. No doubt your parents can help you too.
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How Can I Protect Myself at School?Questions Young People Ask—Answers That Work, Volume 2
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[Box on page 125]
How to Prevent Sexual Harassment
Don’t flirt. It’s an open invitation to harassment. The Bible asks: “Can you carry fire against your chest without burning your clothes?” (Proverbs 6:27, Today’s English Version) The fact is, flirting is playing with fire.
Watch your association. It will be assumed that your values match those of your friends. A young girl named Carla says, “If you hang around with ones who give in to the remarks or who enjoy the attention, then you will get harassed too.”—1 Corinthians 15:33.
Be careful how you dress. Immodest clothing sends out a clear signal that you crave the interest of the opposite sex—and you’ll get it.—Galatians 6:7.
Don’t hide your Christian identity. If you do, no one will have reason to expect you to live up to Christian standards.—Matthew 5:15, 16.
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How Can I Protect Myself at School?Questions Young People Ask—Answers That Work, Volume 2
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[Picture on page 127]
Tell a sexual harasser to back off!
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