As time has passed, women have fought for equality, but not without hardship along the way. Today, women still face labeling and shame based on perceived expectations of how they should dress or date. Because of old cultural influences, women are often labeled based solely on how they dress, or in some cases, how a particular style looks on their body. These names are hurtful and we must stop using them. To shame a women based on these perception is ignorant and generates pain for those on the receiving end.

“I have been called a slut by a variety of people. When it’s coming from my friends it’s usually in a very joking manner, but sometimes when it’s coming from someone close to me it is a very negative connotation. It’s usually because of my clothes or my makeup, or even if I’m at the store and I’m wearing a dress and maybe it’s low cut or the skirt might be too high. They think I can’t hear them whenever they are talking behind my back, but it’s always, ‘Hey that girl is a slut’. So yeah, it’s pretty rough,” one senior said.

When someone calls another person a degrading term it can have various effects. Some can be taken as jokes, but some can also cause a large amount of hurt. Regardless, use of these labels create a cultural sense that they are acceptable.

“Oh it’s horrible, it’s labeling, it’s a name. Long lasting anything that you’re dealing with verbally, name calling, it’s just as detrimental to somebody if not more than even physical effects, in my opinion. It can bring about low self esteem, or low self worth: it is a stigma, a label that can stick with somebody when it’s not even an accurate definition of that person. People feed off that unfortunately,” Psychology teacher Gwendolyn Fleming said.

A social norm is, the rule of behavior that is considered acceptable in a group or society. People who do not follow these norms may be shunned or suffer some kind of consequence. Calling a girl a slut or other shameful term has become a social norm, that has been true for a while, but its slow iteration into our culture is remarkable.

“It became an easy way to be mean to someone you don’t like. It became a way, with males, to not that necessarily call a girl a slut, but in front of their peers they may point out those attributes. So people began to use slut to describe people. I don’t know if it’s socially acceptable to use that, but I think it became the norm to call someone that with that reputation,” Sociology teacher Samantha Kaysinger said.

Perceived roles are often interpreted differently depending on the sex of the person.

“I think girls internalize things. I’m not going to say that girls can’t be aggressive because we know that girls can. However, when we are looking at this type of culture with girls versus girls and boys versus boys, boys typically handle things more aggressively. Girls can, but a lot of times I think they internalize it, more often than not. This can cause bouts of depression, it will cause them to withdraw, maybe from the social scene. I think a lot of times girls, even though some will say this is wrong, but I think a lot of girls are guilty of doing that,” Fleming said.

Words have been used for decades to bully women, those words including slut, whore, or tramp, and dealing with these words can be difficult that’s why we as girls need to stop using them to affect other girls.

“I love the line in ‘Mean Girls’ where Tina Fey says ‘You have got to stop calling each other sluts because then it just gives guys and other people permission to call you that’. Think that is where it has to start. A lot of the time males grief for doing this and I think guys can do a lot of harm by trying to look good in front of their peers., but girls have got to stop perpetuating that stereotype as well,” Kaysinger said.

Using words like those in this world can cause many reactions so being cautious is always a good thing to understand.

“I think we are living in a very confusing time. I mean, calling people names, doing bad things has always been a form of social control. Not saying it’s okay but it’s always been. A the level of construction of reality that we have today. Where we really have to think about everything we say and do, it’s exhausting. Really paying attention to those gut feelings more so than social feelings. I mean, everyone is going to have a person line and trying to be sensitive people’s personal lines and feelings. I know it sounds funny, but seriously, it is not that hard to be nice people. Use the five minutes rule, if it is not going to affect people in five years then don’t worry about it for more than five minutes. And it’s hard to see that bigger picture but we also need to understand how we affect others around us,” Kaysinger said.

Sexual harassment is not uncommon and whether it is identified, reported or not, it even happens in the halls of high school, even though we would like to deny it. The truth is, it’s a real problem, but it can be difficult to tell what is considered sexual harassment and what’s not. Whether it’s out of willful disrespect or simple lack of understanding, harassers have a negative impact on those who are harassed.

“We talk in Sociology about intentions and perceptions. Your intentions may be to only make a joke, and it may be funny to 9/10 people, but if the perception is that it is harassment, then it is. You have to be very careful in that regard. I think knowing your audience and establishing trust within a group can determine what is okay and what’s not,” sociology teacher Sam Kaysinger said.

Each person is different, so we have to attempt to respect different reactions to certain comments. Even if a statement is intended to be a joke, it can end up being very hurtful to the other person.

“The line is whenever the person is feeling uncomfortable, and that can differ for everybody. Which is why people have to be careful. If I’m used to people telling dirty jokes, it’s funny. That might be okay with that group setting, but what’s okay in that one group setting might not necessarily be okay with other people. So, we have to be careful that our actions may not be welcomed or acceptable to other people,” Social Studies Gwen Fleming said.

The receiving end of sexual harassment can be scary, not everyone will know what to do during, or after, the situation. If you find yourself in a questionable situation, the first thing you should do is determine if you have actually been victimized. With each day comes a different mood, so it is important to know if we are overreacting or not.

“When it comes to actual harassment the first thing you have to do is to check yourself first and ask ‘Was that offensive or was it not? Am I being just extra sensitive today? Also knowing that that gut feeling is there for a reason and actually addressing it and saying it very forwardly, ‘Hey that’s not funny, that’s sexual harassment’.” Kaysinger said.

There will likely be people of higher power who can help you safely deal with these types of situations. Especially in a school setting, it is important to know that help is always available.

“If it does continue, there are procedures in almost every social structure to where you take that to someone of authority, and continue up the line as needed there, but you have to first say something to that person and don’t think it is fair for you to skip the line. In a personal situation, again you need to speak up, this is not okay. In there are many cases, and again it’s hard, where you have to completely remove yourself from the situation, if it is continuing to that level of uncomfortability or a safety issue,” Fleming said.

It can be difficult to accept that sexual harassment is a reality for some Rolla High students, but being informed on how to respond is helpful.

“Yes Especially, when I was at the St. Pats parade earlier this year. It just makes you feel really gross because it’s unwanted. Unless I tell you or give you permission to touch my body, then it’s hands off. Especially when I’m a complete stranger and what made it even worse was that they were drunk because it just makes the situation even more gross than it already is,” A senior at Rolla High said.

As a whole, sexual harassment is present in our society, even if it is not visible at first look. It is important to treat others with the respect they deserve. Whether verbal or physical, this harassment is not appropriate; we need to respect everybody’s personal boundaries.

“I know it sounds funny, but seriously, it is not that hard to be nice people. Use the five minutes rule, if it is not going to affect people in five years then don’t worry about it for more than five minutes. It’s hard to see that bigger picture but we also need to understand how we affect others around us,” Kaysinger said.