People need to know just how early this kind of behavior can start, and how devastating it can be.

What happened to me is not much compared to what so many go through, but I still think it is important to share. On my second day of kindergarten, a boy in the other class grabbed me and pulled me under the climber, saying his friend wanted to see me. Then his friend grabbed me and kissed me. I ran away and didn’t tell anyone, because my mother had told me I shouldn’t kiss boys and I was embarrassed even though it wasn’t my fault. Somehow the word got around school that I had kissed him under the climber, and everyone made fun of me for it for years, even though it was him who kissed me. I felt totally ashamed about it for years. Now I’m 18 and I’ve realized that A) it truly was not my fault what happened. B) there’s nothing shameful about kissing a boy if you both consent. C) if anyone should be ashamed, it’s him, for not only kissing me without consent but then making out like it was my idea. People need to know just how early this kind of behaviour can start, and how devastating it can be. For the record, he’s still the only guy I’ve ever kissed, cuz I’ve always been too scared to after. -- Ellie in London, Ontario