Growing up I was surrounded by adults that seemed to believe my body, and the bodies of my cousins, were there specifically for their enjoyment and criticism. Uncles that smacked my bottom when they walked by, got too close for comfort, made fun of my skinny legs.
Women in my family made after dinner conversations about comparing breast sizes, body size and shape, and reminding us that we just aren’t quite good enough at anything. Sometimes it was a kind of weird show and tell, asking us to sing the song we learned or show off some gymnastics move.
Autonomy and agency were words for future me, because young me had none. And it’s these expectations, that young people should just listen to the adults in their lives as do as they say, that create the systemic acceptance of abuse toward children. Not just acceptance, but a perpetuation of it.
Cycles are breaking, but now we are being met with significant pushback from the people that want it to continue. People that will lose power, money, and access to young people. Keep pushing back, our children deserve better.