Girls shouldn’t have to earn their safety.Not with obedience.Not with silence.Not with submission.Not with serving the emotional needs of boys.And def
Girls shouldn’t have to earn their safety.
Not with obedience.
Not with silence.
Not with submission.
Not with serving the emotional needs of boys.
And definitely not with turning on other girls.
Yet too often, that’s exactly what’s expected of them.
From the time they’re small, many girls are taught that protection is conditional. That in order to be safe, liked, or left alone, they must:
-
Be quiet, polite, and pleasing—never loud, angry, or defiant.
-
Accept unwanted attention with a smile.
-
Protect boys who are afraid of other boys.
-
Befriend boys to “keep the peace.”
-
Offer emotional labor to male classmates, brothers, or friends.
-
“Grow up fast” when boys behave badly.
-
Serve as buffers, interpreters, or peacekeepers between boys and men.
-
Hide their discomfort so others don’t feel awkward.
-
Suppress their brilliance to avoid male envy or backlash.
-
Distance themselves from “non-compliant” girls to stay in good graces.
-
Bully or isolate girls who refuse to submit—just to keep themselves safe.
This isn’t protection.
It’s grooming.
It’s bullying repackaged as survival.
It’s patriarchy disguised as personality.
And it’s hurting girls—badly.
When girls are forced to “earn” protection, what we’re really saying is:
“Only certain girls deserve to be safe. The rest are on their own.”
But that’s a lie.
Every girl deserves safety. Not as a reward. As a right.
We must stop teaching girls to submit in exchange for peace.
We must stop asking them to betray themselves—or each other—for approval.
We must stop pushing girls to protect others before they are even protected themselves.
At RosasChildren, we believe in raising girls who are safe, seen, and supported without condition.
Because a girl should never have to shrink, serve, or suffer to be left alone.
10 Dangerous Beliefs That Have Harmed Girls Around the World
10 Non-Negotiable Boundaries All Children Have a Right to Set
The Consent Illusion: Why Girls Can’t Say Yes to Being Unsafe
COMMENTS