Palo Alto High School’s Teen Magazine Examines Rape Culture
The recent issue of Palo Alto High School’s Verde Magazine explores a sensitive topic for the teen community- that of rape culture. In the 14:5 Issue titled “Rape Culture”, the teen written-and-edited magazine published on a quarterly basis confronts an issue that for most cities, schools, families, and teens is not often openly spoken about. According to Verde Magazine editors, they wanted to focus on the subject to raise awareness about it.
The following is an excerpt released by the editors before the 14:5 issue published on April 9th. The forward was released along with an excerpt of an article that was featured in Verde Magazine:
“Most societies don’t talk about rape. We consider it a taboo, conditioning victims to feel ashamed about speaking out and forcing them to deal with the aftermath in silence. But the recent rapes committed in Steubenville, Amherst and New Delhi have forced us to examine how we deal with sexual assault…Our cover package, to be released on Tuesday, April 9, examines the many facets of rape culture, from victim-blaming to flawed media coverage of rape to the old “boys will be boys” cliché. Lisie Sabbag’s article “‘You can’t tell me I wasn’t raped’” tells the story of two rape victims and the overwhelming lack of support they received from the community…By publishing an article on rape culture, our goal is to increase discussion about the issue, not the individuals involved.” (published in the Paly Voice on April 8, 2013)
To read the complete 14:5 issue of Verde Magazine click here.
After the publication of this article, the magazine and its editors received an enormous amount of attention. You can see them here on the NBC Bay Area news, http://www.nbcbayarea.com/on-air/as-seen-on/202315331.html or listen to them on NPR’s radio show Forum, which aired Monday, April 15, 2013 http://www.kqed.org/a/forum/R201304151000.
In the wake of the recent suicide and assault of Saratoga High School teen, Audrie Pott (see Teen Talk post “Sexual Assault and Online Bullying Turn Deadly for One Saratoga Teen Girl”), this subject, is a topic that is relevant to teens in all communities.
Adolescent Counseling Services’ On-Campus Counseling (OCC) Program provides individual, family and group counseling at no cost to students and their families at the five secondary schools in the Palo Alto Unified School District, at Woodside High School and Redwood High School in the Sequoia Union High School District and La Entrada Middle School in the Las Lomitas School District.
ACS’ After-School Counseling Program offers affordable counseling and psychotherapy during the afternoon and evening hours for teens and their families in and around the greater Silicon Valley community.
For more information or to book an appointment please call 650.424.0852 or email info@acs-teens.org.