Half of black girls report being sexually coerced. There are ways we can help protect them.

When you are devalued you are disposable. A study by the Georgetown Law Center on Poverty and Inequality shows that adults view black girls as less innocent and more adult-like than their white peers, especially in the age range of 5-14. This leads to the belief that girls entice their attackers and should have been old enough to know the consequences. But it’s this kind of thinking that leads people to doubt victims’ stories. Physical maturity is not the same as intellectual maturity no matter the race or gender. In fact, adolescents are only beginning to develop abstract thinking skills between the ages of 11-16.