Girls who report abuse are met with parental blame that reinforces silence.

Evidence

Such incidents are usually endured in silence by the little girl because of the shame they cause. Moreover, if she does reveal them to her parents, their reaction is often to reprimand her. “Don’t say such stupid things … you’ve got an evil mind.” She is also silent about bizarre activities of some strangers. A little girl told Dr. Liepmann: We had rented a room from the shoemaker in the basement. — Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex, 771

Categorization

• XREF: Echoes the reader’s existing theme of how victims of moral/sexual panic are silenced by institutional and familial response.
• ADDENDUM: Supports the ‘Complaints About Immodesty’ article’s thread on how shame and blame discipline girls’ bodies and testimony.