By now everyone is aware of an Instagram account named ‘Bois lockerroom’, where a group of teenage boys shared images of women without their permission and objectified them. The group was made to slut-shame girls, morph their pictures and pass vulgar comments. The existence of the group recently came to light when one of the new members of the group shared the screenshots of the lewd conversation which involved talking about rape as well.
Soon, the screenshots were all over social media a juvenile boy, from a respectable school in Delhi has been identified, along with 21 other members of the group.
Predictably, the #boyslockerroom incident made everyone angry and frustrated. For most people, it is a rude awakening how of the fact that this boy will be the boy’s culture easily slips into rape culture. Also, the fact that all these boys belong to good families and study in respectable schools, is making people angrier. These terrible screenshots have led to an honest question: how do we fix this kind of mentality?
• Actions of parents matter a lot
Children quickly captivate and reproduce behaviors they see and experience in their daily lives. The difference between gender starts when you ask your daughter to sit properly in front of the guests or for that matter dress accordingly as well. It starts the day when you choose to save for your daughter’s wedding and your son’s higher education.
As parents how we treat our daughters in front of our son will impact them more than the moral education classes ever. All we are trying to say is, this starts at home. So teach your kids to respect both the genders equally.
• Correct people when they give gender-biased statements
Stop anyone who is sharing a sexist joke in a gathering. Do not laugh over any such joke. Remember your child can take more than a joke and they can pick up on how to treat another gender. When you pull up someone over a gender-biased statement or reproach the inferior treatment of women in any manner, you tell your kid to stand up for what is right.
• Treat them equally
If you allow your son to go out and play, then do the same with your daughter. Never differentiate between them. If in any case, you differentiate they will start thinking that ways.
• Make zero-tolerance rules around sexism
Every time you hear your child pass sexist comments or objectify the other gender, you must educate them. Apply strict rules in case such conversations happen. This will help in developing lasting beliefs about equality.
• Open conversation
Even if the environment around them is free of gender stereotypes, children can still get such messages in media, at school, or anywhere else. Just setting out good examples is not enough, you need to point out and talk about gender stereotypes with children.
