GIRL POWER OCTOBER 2013 | Page 9

Saying NO is OK! As young as age 13 girls are having sex with boys not because they necessarily want to, but because they feel like their peers are doing it and would be considered inferior if they say no I’m 18 years old and I consider myself a true “All American Girl.” I am truly worried about a growing trend in young teen girls today. As young as age 13 girls are having sex with boys not because they necessarily want to, but because they feel like their peers are doing it and would be considered inferior if they say no. Being in the age range of 13-15 and having a boyfriend today means a girl has met a guy, most likely at school and they begin talking mostly via text. The texts look a lot like this: “What’s up?” “How was your day?” “I miss you” “I love you” Then there’s sexting... The guys says “Hey, send me a pic” and the girl feels like she should because they are dating, right? Not all girls this age sext, but it does happen! Many teen girls feel like because a guy is texting her and just because they have been asked to be his girlfriend over text, they are now in a deep meaningful relationship. Cementing the relationship on Facebook really Keep gracious and say no means they love each other. Now we all now 13-15 year olds don’t have a drivers license, so in order to go anywhere besides school they either have an older sibling, older friends or parents who are willing to take you to the movies, etc. At the one month of dating mark, girls begin to feel they are truly in a serious relationship. Most girls couldn’t tell you many details about the boy or his family, but they feel they are in love. Boys will be boys and due to hormones kicking in they will always try to seize an opportunity. I don’t blame the guys for testing the waters as long as they are not abusive and they can accept no. I feel it’s the girls responsibility to stand up for her morals and values and just say no. Girls are agreeing to have sex because they feel “everybody’s doing it” even though the percentage may be smaller than they think, it only takes one friend to brag and then the cycle begins. Girls are often swayed to give in to sex if they have already said no and the boyfriend continues to put in the effort. This leaves the girl feeling pressured because she doesn’t want to lose her boyfriend and be talked about by her peers. This is where we are at: Girl has new boyfriend.