Helping Your Daughter Respond to Derogatory Names with Strength and Self-Respect

friendship drama frienships parenting tips teen frienships teen worries May 02, 2023

Cartoon of a mother and daughter with frustrated expressions, featuring a middle finger symbol and '#!!' symbols to represent anger or frustration.

During a Sunday session for The Brave Girl Tribe, several girls expressed concern about how to respond when boys call them derogatory names, such as the 'B-word.'

I want to start by saying that this behavior is NEVER acceptable. Your daughter needs to know that she deserves to be treated with respect and kindness and that no one has the right to make her feel UNCOMFORTABLE or UNSAFE with their language or actions

As women, many of us have experienced some form of harassment. Educating our daughters about harassment and sharing different examples will help them recognize when they are mistreated and know how to respond.

To help your daughter navigate these situations, I wanted to provide some examples of behaviors that may constitute harassment.

She needs to be aware of these signs:

Unwanted physical contact, such as groping or brushing up against someone in a sexual manner
Unwelcome sexual comments, jokes, or gestures
Pressure to engage in sexual activity or repeated requests for a date
Spreading rumors or gossip about someone's sexual activity or orientation
Sending unsolicited sexual messages or explicit images via text or social media
Stalking or following someone in a way that makes them feel uncomfortable or afraid
Making sexually suggestive or explicit remarks about someone's appearance or clothing
Intentionally making someone feel uncomfortable or intimidated through sexual behavior or language
Making sexual advances toward someone who has made it clear that they are not interested

It's essential to let your daughter know that she can always count on your support and talk to you about anything on her mind.

Another valuable lesson is teaching her how to set boundaries, especially when someone is disrespectful. You can both practice using phrases to communicate boundaries effectively. To make it easier, I've created a workbook of boundary-setting phrases that you can use together.

Download Now

What Does It Mean to Be a Guest?
As a guest of The Brave Girl Tribe, your daughter will have the unique opportunity to join one of our live Sunday Zoom coaching sessions. She’ll get to experience our community firsthand, where girls in grades 5 through 8 come together to share their experiences, receive support, and learn valuable life skills.

We want every girl to feel comfortable, so there's no pressure to turn on her camera or speak up during the session—she can simply listen in and soak up the positive energy! Of course, if she feels inspired to participate, we’re here to welcome her with open arms. Either way, she'll be a valued part of our Brave Girl Tribe experience!

Warmly,

Laura Hayes
Founder of The Brave Girl Project
Life Coach for Tween & Teen Girls
www.TheBraveGirlProject.com
[email protected] Instagram Facebook
YouTube Pinterest Podcast

Helping Your Daughter Respond to Derogatory Names with Strength and Self-Respect

Download Now

Join Our Free Trial