Dowd's tips on what parents can do about it:
1. Redefine gender stereotypes.
Teach your daughter to be strong, powerful, and assertive. Point out positive female role models. Teach your daughter that they deserve to be respected for who they are, not how they look: Give them outlets for building self-esteem that is built on their personality, hobbies, and interests in life. Especially for teen girls who are building their identity, help them build their self-worth around activities that give them a sense of purpose, and fulfillment – such as sports, music, the arts. Compliment your daughter on something other than her appearance. Make sure your daughter can list three things they like about themselves that have nothing to do with their appearance.
2. Buy your daughter age-appropriate clothing that does not sexualize her body.
Be careful of allowing your teen to focus too much on her appearance (hair, nails, makeup) at too early of an age. Explain why.
3. Teach your daughter that standing up for herself is being confident, not mean.
Part of staying safe and feeling comfortable is having the ability to recognize when something is making you feel uncomfortable and then having the confidence to say, “I don’t like this. Please stop.”
4. Don’t blame young women, blame the sexual harassers.
One of the biggest mistakes when discussing unwanted sexual attention is suggesting that women have somehow brought this on themselves by wearing the wrong outfit or being too nice. Young women who are sexually harassed are not causing the harassment, the sexual harassers are.
5. Watch TV and movies with your daughter and teach her to be a savvy media consumer.
Help her notice and analyze gender stereotypes and discuss how they’re harmful. Monitor your teen’s social media activity. If you notice a sexually provocative picture, tell her to take it down and explain why it’s inappropriate and potentially criminal.
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