To receive a collection of Abby's most memorable -- and most frequently requested -- poems and essays, send a business-sized, self-addressed envelope, plus check or money order for $5 (U.S. funds) to: Dear Abby -- Keepers Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447. (Postage is included in the price.)
SCHOOL PRINCIPAL GIVES LESSON ON ENDING SEXUAL HARASSMENT
DEAR ABBY: "Three Girls From Zanesville, Ohio" wrote that they were sexually harassed at their high school by a boy who touches, grabs and pinches them. They complained to the assistant principal, and the boy was given one day of detention -- after which the harassment escalated.
Those girls should know that telling the assistant principal one time is not enough. Although your advice to tell their parents is important, much more needs to be done.
Victims must document and report any future incidents immediately to an adult at the school. In my school, if such a report occurs, the perpetrator is immediately suspended. Expulsion and legal action are also used if the sexual harassment does not stop.
In addition, because the perpetrators are often skilled at not exhibiting this behavior in clear view of adults, I teach victims how to respond so that the perpetrator is exposed. Victims must clearly and loudly tell the offender to "Leave me alone! Don't touch me! Don't say that to me!" This alerts adults and students in the school that there's a problem. Notes, e-mails or written messages must be saved and turned over to school officials. I also review the incident with the staff, to alert them to be more observant of possible future problems.
It is only through CONTINUED communication between the victim and school officials that effective action can be taken and the harassment stopped. -- GORDON W. HOOD, PRINCIPAL, NICHOLS MIDDLE SCHOOL, EVANSTON, ILL.
DEAR GORDON: Thank you for writing. Let it be lost on no one that although the girls who wrote to me were in high school, harassment also happens in middle school -- and even grammar school.
DEAR ABBY: The boy who sexually harassed the "Three Girls From Zanesville" is committing a crime. Boys who do this have no sense of appropriate boundaries with the opposite sex. If they'll do it in public, there's no telling what they will do in a private setting.
What is most surprising to me about these cases is the fact that the girls seem to tolerate it for extended periods of time. My experience leads me to believe that the culture of high school and/or junior high leads these girls to believe that they brought the harassment on themselves.
Please let all students know that inappropriate touching is not OK. They are entitled to go to school and feel safe. Policing by peers is the strongest deterrent to this type of behavior. Classmates as well as victims need to speak out against this behavior. -- DEPUTY PROSECUTOR IN WASHINGTON
DEAR D.P.: The girls "tolerate" it because they haven't learned how to effectively stop it. But you're right, silence does indicate that it's acceptable. Peer pressure can be a powerful weapon for good. When people speak out and let those around them know they won't tolerate something and stand together, it can change a culture.
CONFIDENTIAL TO EL RANCHO HIGH SCHOOL MACHO MAN: Being macho and part of the "in crowd" gives no one the right to belittle others. There's a saying, "Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one." Sounds like the voice of experience to me.
Woman's Investment in Future Marriage Is Paying No Return
DEAR ABBY: My boyfriend, "Brian," and I are in our early 30s. In June we will have been dating for six years. We've lived together for four. I am ready for marriage and a family, but Brian considers marriage a "financial decision." He has told me more than once that he would gain nothing by marrying me.
Frankly, our living arrangement has never been financially ideal for me. At the time we moved in together, I had been making payments on a small home that would have been paid for by now. I sold it (taking a loss) and gave away all my furniture when I moved in with Brian. He had just purchased a pricey home, and I have always paid him rent and shared all living expenses.
So I have to ask myself: What does my live-in companion have to "lose" financially by marrying me? I continue to pay him rent. At my own expense I have painted the bedrooms, put up all new drapes and blinds, planted a beautiful garden –- all for a house that's not even mine.
Last June, I gave Brian one year to ask me to marry him. Here it is almost May, and he is no closer to proposing now than he was then. Am I being unreasonable to expect a serious commitment? Any advice would help. Sign me ... COLORADO LADY IN WAITING
DEAR LADY IN WAITING: Unreasonable, no. Naive, yes. Your boyfriend is a self-admitted cash-and-carry kind of guy. He is only interested in the financial benefits of your current arrangement.
You have stars in your eyes, and Brian is blinded by dollar signs. If you want a real partnership, find someone with whom you have more in common.
DEAR ABBY: "Vivian" has been my best friend for 11 years. Our children are the same ages and our families have always been close. Last summer, Viv suddenly stopped talking to me and wouldn't return my phone calls. The last time we spoke was Christmas when she brought gifts over for the kids and acted like everything was fine. I haven't heard a word from her since.
I miss my friend and I am mystified as to why she won't return my calls and e-mails. I thought we were as close as sisters. I don't understand how a grown woman can toss out a longtime friendship like yesterday's garbage. What more can I do, Abby? -- HURT AND CONFUSED IN OREGON
DEAR HURT AND CONFUSED: You have done all you can to preserve the friendship. The ball is now in Vivian's court. There may be something going on in her life that she's not willing to share with you at this time. Go on with your life and don't second-guess what you should or shouldn't have done.
CONFIDENTIAL TO MY READERS: Easter will soon be here. Many people regard it as an occasion to give pets to small children. A word of caution: If you plan to surprise a child with a duckling, a chick or a baby rabbit, please consider that living creatures need proper care. Unless you are absolutely certain that the little pet will receive the care it needs to survive, please give the child a stuffed bird or rabbit instead. Regardless of how cute baby birds and animals are, they should not be given to children on impulse.
If you have gotten this far and are still determined to give a live baby rabbit as a gift, I strongly advise that you do some research first. Visit � HYPERLINK "http://www.RabbitNetwork.org/articles/easter.shtml" ��www.RabbitNetwork.org/articles/easter.shtml� for information about rabbits' life expectancy, health issues, temperament and desirability as household pets.
Good advice for everyone -- teens to seniors -- is in "The Anger in All of Us and How to Deal With It." To order, send a business-size, self-addressed envelope, plus check or money order for $5 (U.S. funds only) to: Dear Abby, Anger Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447. (Postage is included.)
Pregnant Navy Wife Wasn't Expecting Rude Questions
DEAR ABBY: I am a Navy wife whose husband is currently deployed. Two months after he left, his mother passed away after a short, fierce battle with colon cancer. My grieving husband barely made it home in time for her funeral, and he never got to tell her goodbye.
My husband and I spent 10 emotion-filled days together in his mother's hometown before he had to return to his ship and I had to travel home to our two children. Out of that terrible heartache, we received a blessed gift -- we discovered that we're pregnant!
However, our "happy news" has created an awkward situation: Now that I'm beginning to "show," people who don't know about my husband's mother are asking when I'm due -- and I can see them mentally add the months my husband has been deployed. One woman actually counted out loud on her fingers and then exclaimed, "But he's gone! How is it that you're expecting?"
Our children are 13 and 11, and people have asked in their presence if they come from previous relationships -- and if this new baby will be my husband's and my first child together. One of my daughter's teachers even had the nerve to ask her who the father of the baby is! My darling daughter responded in typical teen-age fashion, "My dad, of course!" Then she rolled her eyes.
How should we as a family respond to these outrageous inquiries? I am at a loss. -- NAVY WIFE AND MOTHER IN WASHINGTON STATE
DEAR NAVY WIFE AND MOTHER: When you are asked who the father of the baby is, smile and reply, "Ask my husband when he gets home. He was there when it happened."
DEAR ABBY: On Sept. 11, I tragically lost my brother, New York firefighter Michael Kiefer of Ladder 132 in Brooklyn. He was only 25 when he died, and his greatest dream was to be a New York firefighter. He lived his dream for only nine months.
The pain of losing my brother in such a violent and senseless act has been unbearable. My parents told me about the "pennies" letters in your column -- how each time someone finds a penny, it means a loved one in heaven is thinking of us. I cannot begin to tell you how true this has been for my family.
Whenever one of us is feeling especially down about Michael, we always find a penny. An example: My brother loved to go to the gym, so one day I decided it was time for me to get back in shape and make him proud. All during my workout I told my angel brother I was doing it for him. As I walked out of the gym, there it was -- a bright, shiny penny! I knew then that Michael was proud of me. It truly was a penny from heaven, and without a doubt from my brother, whom I love and will miss for the rest of my life. Michael, you will always be our hero and you will never be forgotten! -- LAUREN M. KIEFER, FRANKLIN SQUARE, N.Y.
DEAR LAUREN: I extend my deepest sympathy to you and your family for the loss of your heroic brother. The "pennies from heaven" letters have moved many of my readers. And one day I hope to publish a collection of the letters I have received with their messages of hope. Thank you for sharing yours.
To receive a collection of Abby's most memorable -- and most frequently requested -- poems and essays, send a business-sized, self-addressed envelope, plus check or money order for $5 (U.S. funds) to: Dear Abby -- Keepers Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447. (Postage is included in the price.)