"He's been invited to a Halloween party, and he wants to go to the party dressed as a giant penis. I told him over my dead body. My husband thinks the idea is hilarious and sees "no harm in it." I think this is completely inappropriate and am willing to lie down in front of my son's car to stop him."
"Tell your son and husband that this costume is a hard "No" and that this is your final time discussing the matter with them. Explain that a sexually explicit costume like that could be triggering to someone who has been a victim of sexual abuse and that simply walking around resembling a penis is akin to sexually harassing everyone who crosses his path."
Parents are in conflict because a 16-year-old son wants to attend a Halloween party dressed as a giant penis; the mother finds it inappropriate while the father finds it funny. The recommended response is to forbid the costume decisively and end further debate. A sexually explicit costume can trigger survivors of sexual abuse and functions like sexual harassment toward others in public. Parents should discuss how such choices make peers, especially girls, uncomfortable and ask the teen to imagine the impact on someone who had been molested. The conversation should emphasize empathy, boundaries, and respect for others’ comfort.
Read at Slate Magazine
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