If you ask a 10 year old boy to beat up a 10 year old girl - will he? FanPage Italy put this to the test to prove that in the kids world, women don’t get hit. Why? Because, to quote one of the boys in the video, they are men.
It’s estimated that 1 in 3 women will experience physical or sexual abuse in her lifetime. Really think about that stat for a minute - that’s 1 out of every 3 girls you know.
There has been plenty of debate online in the wake of this video's release, with criticisms including the creepiness of the boys being asked to "caress" the girl, and the oversimplification of the issues. Fair complaints, but the central point of the video is still valid.
We don’t believe that boys or girls are born violent people - it’s circumstances, our surroundings and taught behaviours that dictate what we do and how we act. The good news is, we can change attitudes and we can change behaviours.
In 2015, we want to shine the global spotlight on young people and put an end to violence against women and girls. By speaking out together as a global community, we can demonstrate that we want our governments to do more to end violence against women, and set ambitious targets to tackle these ingrained inequalities.
Take a stand with Global Citizen and add your selfie to the largest ever visual petition for the rights of young people at www.showyourselfie.org.
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Caroline Dollman