American actor model Brooke Shields has recently opened up on being raped as a teenager. In the new documentary Pretty Baby, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on Friday, she talked about the harrowing experience. The unfortunate incident, Brooke revealed, happened shortly after she had graduated college.
I just thought, "Stay alive and get out"
Brooke had met the man in question for work. He asked her to wait at the hotel while the taxi came, Brooke said. While at the hotel he disappeared to the bathroom and returned naked.
Continuing with her account Brooke said, “I didn’t fight that much... I just absolutely froze." “I thought that my one ‘no’ should have been enough. And I just thought ‘stay alive and get out", she said.
The documentary got its name from Louis Malle’s 1978 drama which was condemned for showing child prostitution and a nude prepubescent Brooke.
Brooke's documentary talks about her sexualisation beginning at the age of 9 and her acting and modeling career that followed.
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Young girls should be taught to identify predators and tackle them
Brooke's account draws our attention towards one of the most appalling incidents many young girls are subjected to. The intimidating, petrifying aftermath of these incidents pull down the confidence of girls and they never speak about it.
Recently we have seen women sharing such incidents. The #MeToo movement gained momentum with several such women who came forward to talk about their predators which made us realize the time has come to speak about it. It also awakened us to not let the stereotype scare our young generation.
Be it classroom or social media, be alert
Girls should be asked to remain alert and aware of whatever is going around them. Be it in the classroom or in social media, girls should keep an eye on everything concerning them. They should know what is authentic and what is a scam. Several abusers track down young girls through virtual mediums like social media accounts. These abusers develop a relationship through empathy and trust and gain their confidence only to desensitize them to sexual content by normalizing it.
The good touch or bad touch
Girls are not sufficiently educated around sex. Discussions around sex and educating young people about it should be done at school and at home. However, awkwardness always hinders the purpose of educating young boys and girls about sex. This, lack of clarity, misleads several youngsters and throws them into the hands of the predators.
Young girls should be taught about good touch and bad touch. They should know which body organs are extremely private and should not be touched by others no matter how close they are to you.
Speak to parents or elder siblings
Girls tend to keep certain things to themselves. They should be encouraged to speak. Being strong and vocal will not only help them but also clear the path for many young girls like them.
Just like a stitch in time saves nine, actions taken early can stop a lot from happening.
Self-defense skills
In view of the rising number of crimes, young girls should be trained with life saving skills. These skills empower a woman's psychological, intellectual and physical strength and makes her capable to pin down an abuser.
Parents should enroll their daughters for such classes.
Few things parents should know
Always keep a track of the company and the places your kid is frequently visitingIf you sense a gap in communication speak about it with your childBe friends with them on social media as well; do not spyCreate a comfortable space which will encourage kids to come and speak to youExplain them the consequences instead of shouting or yelling at them
