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Sexual targeting worries students A survey finds that Ashland students believe freshman girls are being pressured into sex By DAMIAN MANN ASHLAND - A recent high school survey revealed most students believe some older students on campus are preying on freshman girls for sex. The survey, given to more than 750 Ashland High School students, found a majority who think young females give in to sexual pressure to be socially accepted, sometimes after consuming too much alcohol or drugs. In response, students have organized a forum at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the school's library to discuss the sexual exploitation of young women. "There is a concern among some people on campus that older males, mostly juniors and seniors, are targeting younger girls on campus for sex, particularly ninth-grade girls," said social studies teacher Matthew McKinnon, whose political science class conducted the survey. "There is a lot of peer pressure on these girls for social acceptance." McKinnon, who is also helping students organize the forum, was quick to note that the problem is limited to a minority of the students. "To say that most of our student body is engaged in that behavior is incorrect," he said. The forum will feature speakers from Rape Crisis of Jackson County, the Southern Oregon University Women's Resource Center and school counselors. Ashland junior Jeff Smith, who is organizing the forum, said he decided to participate because of the hurt it causes young girls. "I think it's a problem," he said. "I think it's disgusting." In a small town like Ashland, Smith said, parties dominate the social scene. Younger girls, he said, may crave the attention of older students, but not realize the danger of going to parties with them. "It's older guys getting younger girls drunk and taking advantage of them," he said. "It's no problem getting alcohol. These are little girls and just a couple of shots and they're done. It totally immobilizes and impairs them." Smith said some of his friends didn't appreciate the forum that Smith is helping organize. "A couple of my buddies said, 'Don't blow this ...,' " said Smith. The problem was worse four years ago, he said, when a group of students formed a now disbanded club known as the '98 Hearts. "Every time they would get a girl's virginity they would put a notch in their belts," he said. Senior Natalie Glucklich wants to make eighth-grade girls aware of the problem before they even get to high school. As part of her senior project, Glucklich and other seniors have created a support group that explains the kind of pressures eighth-graders come up against. "We tell them about the pressures of partying with drugs and alcohol and about older guys and younger girls," she said. "We tell them this puts them in situations they'll regret later." For Glucklich the problem goes beyond guys and partying: "A lot of girls go in without a lot of self-respect or self-esteem," she said. "Girls need to have the self-confidence to avoid bad situations." Junior Kevin Spears said, "The older guys see them (the girls) as sexual objects and befriend them because of that. At a party or somewhere else they take advantage of them." He thinks the problem starts in middle school where students feel tremendous peer pressure. "By the time they get to high school it's difficult for them to stand up for themselves," he said. He says males are, in some cases, responding to cultural programming: "Society portrays a typical teenage male as tough and strong and doesn't look at girls as anything but sex objects." Junior Nicole Ibanuz said many freshman girls believe it's "cool" to hang out with an older guy. "They think the guy likes them, but they are just using them," she said. "They just give in because that is the right thing or the cool thing to do." She remembers that as a freshman she wanted to associate with older guys, but finally decided to stay away from the party scene. Like other students, Ibanuz thinks the problem is not as bad this year as in years past, but agrees it still exists. Ibanuz, who is helping organize the forum, said alcohol and drugs are a big part of the problem, including so-called date-rape drugs. The Ashland students also would like to conduct a countywide poll to find out how widespread the problem is. But Ibanuz said when she attempted to conduct a similar survey at other campuses, she was rebuffed. Phoenix High School Principal Bruce Rhodes said he normally avoids doing any extra surveys. "We have state testing. We conduct our own surveys. And the state health department wants information. We do these kinds of things enough." Rhodes said the school wasn't trying to avoid finding out information about the subject. "There are ways they could have gotten feedback, " he said. "I would suggest doing a phone survey." While he said it is possible that some older students at his campus could be preying on younger students, Rhodes said, "From my standpoint I don't hear about those kinds of things." Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.