SPEAK OUT

Monday 11 September 2000-09-27
Contact: Isabel Walcott (1-212) 233 2330 x 11

Many Teen Girls Keep Rape a Secret from Parents, According to SmartGirl Research.

An online poll conducted by SmartGirl.com has revealed that of 339 teen girls surveyed, 28% had been pushed into having sex or performing sexual acts against their will. The survey further revealed that in many cases girls are NOT talking about these devastating incidents to their parents and caregivers who could give much-needed help.

Of the respondents who referred to an incidence of forced sex, over 50% felt that the forced sexual activity was their fault. In many instances, the sexual offender was involved in a relationship with the respondent who did not know how to refuse.

In many of the respondents cases, their parents were not informed as the respondents were afraid of being punished by their parents for “breaking the rules” (drinking, staying out late, going out with older guys) when the incident occurred.

SmartGirl is urging parents to pay close attention to its findings and believes parents should include support messages with their rules. When stipulating rules about parties, boyfriends and general social issues, parents should explain that no matter what rules have been disobeyed, they would always help in a scary situation. Parents need to stress that a rape or sexual assault is never her fault and she deserves medical and psychological help as well as legal recourse.

THE SURVEY
SmartGirl.com collected data by randomly soliciting input from their audience from July 28, 2000 through August 22, 2000. 339 US and Canadian girls aged 12 and up were asked a series of combined multiple choice and essay questions related to forced sexual activity. For a report on the findings, contact Isabel Walcott at isabel@smartgirl.com.

ABOUT SmartGirl.com
Launched in 1996, SmartGirl.com has led the way in providing space on the internet that is created by and for girls. Today, the site is a premier destination for girls who are interested in sharing their views on everything from the latest movies and fashion trends to every-day issues like school, relationships and navigating adolescence.

SmartGirl Internette Inc

http://www.smartgirl.com

“Smart girls decide for themselves” TM