'It's gotten worse': Teen girls say Hockey Canada trial proves #MeToo failed to protect their generation

Time of India

12 hours ago

Kitchener high school students express concerns about safety following the Hockey Canada sexual assault trial(Getty Images)
In the aftermath of the Hockey Canada sexual assault trial, a group of high school seniors from Kitchener, Ontario, are voicing what many women across the country are feeling — that despite the global attention from the #MeToo movement, little has changed when it comes to real-world safety, respect, and justice for young women.
From the classroom to the workplace, consent remains misunderstood
The girls, all 12th-graders, shared their daily experiences with harassment — not in viral headlines, but in grocery stores and bakeries, where older men make predatory remarks and ignore boundaries.
Seventeen-year-old Samira Nur explained: 'I encounter a lot of creepy men… I'm at work, and under the expectation that I still have to treat these people with kindness, despite the fact that I'm being, like, fully disrespected.'
Her classmate, Anna De Sousa, recounted a chilling annual encounter with an older male customer: 'Last year, he was like, 'You're 17 now. Next year, I'll be back. We're gonna go out.' Every time I see his face, my body literally starts shaking.'
These aren't isolated incidents—they're part of a wider issue that the girls say their education barely prepared them for. Consent was glossed over in brief lessons, often through awkward metaphors like 'the tea video.'
As Samira put it: 'It wasn't really treated very seriously.'
Social media and toxic masculinity fuel the pressure
The rise of online platforms has only made things worse. With Snapchat and Instagram, harassment is more anonymous, more constant, and more cruel. 'Honestly, I think it's gotten worse,' said Nishtha Tomer. 'They will not say a word to you in real life, but online, it's the meanest things.'
And with influencers like Andrew Tate spreading misogynistic messages, girls like Loyd Gebreselassie are noticing a shift in male attitudes: 'This trend is growing with younger men… All these ideologies they've gathered and almost try to force onto women.'
The teens acknowledge #MeToo helped break silence and remove shame. But legal and systemic progress feels distant. 'More so that than actually really solving anything,' said Shantelle Carrion.
Also Read:
When will the Hockey Canada sexual assault verdict be delivered? Judge sets crucial July 24 date
Their message is clear: while the headlines may fade, the fight for safer spaces, better education, and deeper understanding of consent must continue—because for many young women, the danger never went away.
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