My heart broke for her as these awful rumors permeated my classroom. And I could see in this girl the utter devastation and downfall of her self esteem.

Perhaps this is a different kind of message than you normally get. I just saw your interview on "Katie" and I immediately grabbed my iPad and found your website, because I don't know how to handle the slut shaming I have experienced. So here is, possibly, where my story differs. I have never personally been the victim of slut shaming and the residual bullying (and sexual assault) that can happen because of it. I am the teacher of a 5th-grade student who has experienced this. This young woman, whom I work with 180 days per year, whom I value as my intelligent, caring, important student, had the "audacity" to publicly show affection for her "boyfriend" at school. Or at least talk about it. Talk about the curiosity that comes with discovering who you are... How dare she say she wanted to kiss him?! The simple act of talking about the desire to kiss a boy turned in to 1) She's a slut. 2) She is hoping to have sex with another boy. 3) She has sex with lots of boys. My heart broke for her as I heard both boys and girls spread these awful rumors about her. It permeated my classroom like the stench of some rotting organic matter. And I could see in this girl the utter devastation and downfall of her self esteem. My reaction was to first, report the matter to my supervisor in the hopes that the students who were shaming this girl would be swiftly reprimanded. And they were: they were suspended for a day. That's all... No teaching of why their behavior was not okay. Next, I reassured my student of my confidence in her and in the value I see in her. Finally, I called her parents to let them know that she would need emotional support when she got home from school. The conversation I had with the parents was interesting. Of course, they were angry. But the mother asked me a question that I will never forget. She asked, "What did she do to cause all this attention? Because I know she isn't always innocent." My response to this mother was: "Whether she did something or not, nobody should be saying these things about her." Since that time, the word "slut" has become prevalent amongst my students, mostly the girls calling each other "sluts". And this is my quandary, as an educator: how do I handle this? What if this happens to another student? I am not the parents of these children, so how do I, as an educator with zero resources and little administrative support, stop this obvious slut shaming in its tracks? I am grateful for the message your organization is sending, and I hope it reaches young women so quickly... That they will learn to find value in themselves and that our young people will find value in each other. - Rebecca