Girls Inc, the nonprofit organization that inspires girls to be strong, smart, and bold, just released findings from its Girls Shape the Future study that gives new info on the factors that affect teen girls’ sexual behaviors and attitudes.

The study examined the belief that girls whose futures are considered at risk because of things like race, family configuration, or economic status, are at high risk for engaging in early sexual activity. But the Girls Inc study shows that there is no difference between the rate of early sexual activity among girls considered “at risk” and the general population of girls.

Interestingly, the study did show that there are 2 very important factors which play critical roles in protecting girls – regardless of their socioeconomic status and household structure – against early sexual activity. Any guesses?

Mom and school. That’s right. The better the quality of girls’ relationship with their mothers and their achievement in school, especially reading proficiency, the less likely girls were to engage in early sexual behavior.

Click here to read all the findings of the Girls Shape the Future study.

One of my favorite jobs is editing the Louder Than Words series of teen-authored memoirs. I love reading over the interesting submissions, finding the authors, making the phone calls to tell a hopeful author she’s been selected, and ultimately editing the books. But my favorite part of editing this series, without a doubt, is that I get to connect with truly inspirational and incredible young women.

If I’m really lucky, I get to meet them in person. On Monday, I hopped on the Amtrak train and headed south from Seattle for Vancouver, Washington, where I spent three wonderful hours with upcoming Louder Than Words author Hannah Westberg. Hannah is in revision mode for her forthcoming memoir, entitled Hannah, and we spent our time eating Indian food and talking about her manuscript, life after high school, and the joys of five year olds (she babysits one, I have one).

Hannah’s book is an extremely personal, and powerful, account of her struggles with mental illness, drug abuse, and suicidal tendencies. I am so excited to share Hannah’s writing talent and important story with the world! Hannah will be out in August 2010, along with Rae by Chelsea Rae Swiggett of The Pageflipper fame and Alexis by Alexis Papalia. And while Alexis and Rae live too far away for an impromptu lunch, I’ll be sharing more details about their memoirs in the coming weeks.

I just read a story over at Jezebel that has me seething. A teen girl was anonymously given a religious pamphlet while working the drive through at a fast food restaurant in Virginia. Now, I’m all for freedom of speech, but the content of this pamphlet crossed a serious line.

According to an article in the Bristol Herald Courier, the pamplet was addressed to “Women and Girls” and said, in part:

“You may have been given this leaflet because of the way you are dressed. Have you thought about standing before the true and living God to be judged? Scripture tells us that when a man looks on a woman to lust for her he has already committed adultery in his heart. If you are dressed in a way that tempts a men to do this secret (or not so secret) sin, you are a participant in the sin. By the way, some rape victims would not have been raped if they had dressed properly. So can we really say they were innocent victims?”

The article featured an interview with Sandra G. Rasnake, the sexual assault program director at Bristol’s Crisis Center. From the article:

Rasnake said she confronts similar ideas, although not generally printed and distributed in mass, from the women she talks with daily. Victim blaming, she said, is the most prominent reason rapes are so rarely reported and even more rarely taken to trial. Sexual assaults, she said, come in second for the country’s worst conviction rates.

What I hate most about this is that the leaflet uses religion as a foundation for its misguided message and aims to tap into people’s fear and guilt. As a victim in college, I know how traumatizing it can be to be sexually assaulted, and I also know how complicated the emotional fallout can be. Victims often feel confused, ashamed, embarrassed, tainted, and disempowered. And I know I’m not alone. Check out these statistics from the Rape Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN):

• 1 out of a 6 American women has been the victim of rape or attempted rape in her lifetime
• 17.7 million American women have been victims of attempted or completed rape

And according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics:

• approximately 28% of victims are raped by husbands or boyfriends and 35% are raped by acquaintances

Just so we’re clear here, rape or sexual assault is NEVER the victim’s fault. Sexual assault is about control and power, and if the sexual contact isn’t consensual, it’s a crime. To find out more, visit RAINN here.

Congratulations to film director Kathryn Bigelow, who made history last night by being the first woman ever to win an Academy Award for Best Picture and Best Director! Though three other women have been nominated for best director in the past (Sofia Coppola for Lost in Translation, Jane Campion for The Piano, and Lina Wertmuller for Seven Beauties), this is the first time a woman has won the award. Kathryn Bigelow won for her film The Hurt Locker, which also won the Best Picture award.

When presenter Barbra Streisand opened the envelope to reveal the winner, she said “The time has come.” And I couldn’t agree more! The film industry has historically been a tough one for women to break in, let alone make such a powerful mark.

According to the Celluloid Ceiling Report from Women in Film:

• 21% of the top 250 domestic grossing films released in 2007 employed no women directors, executive producers, producers, writers, cinematographers, or editors. (None of these films failed to employ a man in at least one of these roles.)
• Women accounted for 6% of directors of the top 250 domestic grossing films released in 2007, a decline of 1% since 2006.
• A historical comparison of women’s employment on the top 250 films in 2007 and 1998 reveals that the percentage of women in all behind-the-scenes roles (directors, writers, executive producers, producers, editors and cinematagraphers) has declined.

Hopefully, Kathryn’s historic win will open more doors to women filmmakers. As she said in her acceptance speech, “There’s no other way to describe it…it’s the moment of a lifetime.”

* * * * *

Do you have an interest in a career in film? Here are some resources worth checking out:

• ReelGrrls
• Women Make Movies
• Women in Film

To read a firsthand account of life as a screenwriter and director in Hollywood, check out my interview with Susannah Grant (wrote Erin Brokovich and Ever After and directed Catch and Release) in my book In Their Shoes: Extraordinary Women Describe Their Amazing Careers!

If you live in Washington state and have an interest in a career in aviation or aerospace, you’ll want to attend the Women Fly! 2010 event at the Museum of Flight this Friday, March 5. This day-long event invites girls to participate in a day of motivational and career-oriented activities including exploration sessions, mentoring time, networking lunch, and a panel discussion featuring professional women working in a variety of flight-related careers. This year’s panelists includes women pilots from almost every continent. Their experiences include flights in the Australian outback, Alaskan wilderness, Antarctic slopes, African plains and the urban landscapes of Europe, Japan, South Africa and the United States.

The event costs $10 to attend, but scholarships are available. To register, fill out the online form here.

readergirlz, the online book community for young adults, is celebrating it’s third anniversary this month! If you’re not tapped in to all the great stuff happening at readergirlz, you’ll want to check out their site for interviews and video chats with your favorite YA authors, book trailers, and an opportunity to connect with other people who love YA lit.

This month’s issue features an interview with Scott Westerfeld, author of the Uglies series and Leviathan, and inside scoop on their artist-in-residence, Elizabeth Scott, who has written Love You, Miss You, Hate You; Something, Maybe, and many other great books.

Oh, and next month I’ll be participating in readergirlz’ Operation Ten Book Drop, a nationwide campaign whereby authors and readers are invited to “drop” a favorite book in a public space for another teen to find, thereby spreading the joy of reading and stories. I’ll post more about this as the event, scheduled for April 15, 2010, gets closer!