‘Girls feel betrayed’: Dani survived sexual assault by a boy at 14. She says girls’ education is now at stake
Dani Villafana, a survivor of sexual assault by a peer at age 14, argues that schoolgirls feel betrayed by the lack of systematic responses to sexual harm in schools. She highlights how such trauma disrupts education and criticizes the political debate surrounding respectful relationships education.
Why it matters
It underscores the critical need for better institutional support and safety protocols for students facing sexual violence in educational settings.
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Share A A A Dani Villafana has a word for how schoolgirls are feeling as they reflect on their sexual maltreatment by school-aged peers and see headlines about the alleged rape of others their age : “betrayed”.
She has met many who have had their school experience or education disrupted by harm from fellow students , and has a very personal stake in doing better by girls around the country. At age 14, Villafana was playing oboe and clarinet at an interschool music program when she met the 14 year-old boy who coerced and sexually assaulted her, causing extensive trauma.
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