The line all women end a night with friends on.
I have been thinking a lot about safety and how I am going to talk to my eldest about keeping safe out and about as she wants to have more independence. In our local park I cannot even let her wander around in a little gaggle of girls because in the wooded area at the back there keeps being grown ass men wanking and flashing the girls as they innocently climb trees or the teens as they leave the nearby senior school exit at the end of the day. Like, a lot too, and those are just the ones we know about, whose details get texted across the school network in a hurried alert of parent-tree communications. It’s gross and maddening and god help any man who comes my way with his schlong out in the park my children are playing in.
I don’t want to explain to a ten year old , a ten year old with the height and curves of a young teenager, that she is entering the age in which she will most likely start receiving street harassment and objectification. It breaks my heart when I have to skirt around chats about safety so I don’t essentially tell her about the dangers of rape and assault in all it’s forms. More than this as I search around online for help and guidance on how to talk to one so young about keep safe and there is almost nothing. There’s plenty of articles telling me I should be talking to her and a few with suggestions that rely on high pitched alarms coming from your phone. But what does she do when she doesn’t have a phone, or is scared stiff glued to the spot, or doesn’t quite register what is being said to her until it’s too late? What practical advice can I give her? There’s lots out there for women, young and old and even for older teens. All of which of course tell us to modify our behaviours and our lives.
I am at a loss here and need to think carefully about how to proceed. I won’t be alone. Wouldn’t it be amazing to have a national safeguarding network with shops or something, like Claire’s Accessorise or Tiger or some other retail unit where 11 year old girls go to spend their pocket money, where if someone was bothering them, or following them or said weird stuff to them, they could go, see a friendly face and be safe for a moment. Training for staff, secret code words if necessary. A free phone call home if need be. Although there is no Claires Accessories in the park is there?
Machete it is then!