Teen Suicide

mean girls

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On Nov. 11, a 10-year-old girl called a “slut” by her classmates in Illinois, committed suicide.

By eighth grade, girls have already started to monitor the sexual conduct of other girls, according to researchers, and 70 percent of students have experienced some kind of non-physical sexual harassment, including sexual rumor spreading, also known as “slut bashing.”

However, girls and women who are labeled sluts may not even be sexually active, according to Dr. Maureen McHugh, professor of psychology at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
McHugh has been researching “slut bashing” in relation to the double standard of sexuality. [continue reading…]