General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Prepare for the deluge. [View all]nadine_mn
(3,702 posts)Together as equally bad...with no context, no degrees...just black and white bullshit and purity tests.
From my own experience I can say that what happened to me as a child was more devastating than what happened to me as an adult. I can say that being flashed by a stranger on the street during a school trip was not nearly as devasting as having my favorite teacher refer to me as his girlfriend (he was married and old enough to be my dad) while hugging me too intimately. I can say that some of the off-color jokes and sometimes too touchy interactions with a male co-worker, while making me feel uneasy..did not rise to the same level of ickyness when that same behavior came from my male boss.
This is just the easy stuff to talk about. There were much worse things that have happened. There is no way I would lump all these together and give them the same weight. And in some instances the actual behavior may have been worse but the intent or power balance didn't give it the same impact. In some cases..as with a friend or co-worker, I felt comfortable saying "ok that's too far" and felt that I was heard and respected. Whereas with teachers, professors, adult family friends or relatives, because of my age or relationship to them, I didn't feel like I could say anything.
This is my experience only but this is why I am so angry and disgusted by some here who are so quick to write off anyone for any inappropriate behavior regardless of circumstance.
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