#Me Too Kids

Sexual harassment of children is a global problem. One study found many girls reach puberty by their ninth birthday, putting them at increased risk of sexual harassment. Some research suggests extreme poverty can permanently set the body’s stress response to high alert, affecting the brain’s circuits, which may influence how reproductive hormones are regulated, triggering early puberty.  Children, especially girls who experience early puberty often report being sexually harassed by adults.  Although girls may have some of the physical characteristics of an adult, they lack the emotional maturity to respond to sexual harassment.  Sexual harassment puts children at risk of psychological problems.  According to Jane Mendle, Cornell University, “The effects of early puberty on psychological health have been replicated in many different countries around the world.”  She speculates that one reason may be that these girls experience unwanted attention and comments about their bodies from older boys and men.  As puberty comes earlier, minors are at increased risk of sexual harassment and early marriage.  Let’s start a movement to protect our children. #MeToo #MeTooKids