Adolescents

Often, gender disparities start small. They can start as early as a girl’s childhood. As they grow, girls are more likely to be exposed to discriminatory practices physically and mentally. 

Many consider it is deeply concerning that adolescent girls are one of the most likely to experience sexual assault than any other minority.  A majority of SA cases involve girls under the age of 18. Girls from the age of 9-13 face drastic decline in confidence and mental health, making them a huge target for predators. Nationally, 8% or 10 million girls under the age of 18 have experienced rape or attempted rape compared to 0.7% or 791,000 boys. Both girls and boys are vulnerable to sexual violence, however, the statistics demonstrate how gender inequality leads to the prevalence and types of sexual violence faced towards girls. Research shows that girl youths are more likely to be victimized by a peer or someone they know. This highlights the vulnerability of this group, and how others take advantage of them based on their age and gender.

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From a young age, girls are also exposed to the societal standards for a woman. Within just the age range of 5-6, nearly ⅓ of children in the US idealize a body size that is thinner than their current perceived size. By the age of 7 ¼ has engaged in a form of dieting behavior. From their developing brains, they are inclined to be influenced by social media and those around them. Children are now exposed to a toxic standard at earlier ages with rapid digitalization. 

Adolescents are at a high risk of being exposed to sexual violence and unrealistic standards. NSVRC states that “There are many gaps in research on sexual violence against teens, especially those from marginalized, unserved, and underserved communities.” There must be more action taken to protect this vulnerable group and an increase in effort to close this gap in gender imbalance.