Asking For ItWritten by: Louise O'Neill
Published in 2016 by Quercus
Grades 9 and up
ISBN: 978-1681445373
2017 Printz Honor Book
Book Review
Louise O'Neill's Printz Honor book, Asking For It, tells the disturbing story of a young woman who is brutally assaulted at a party and struggles to make sense of what happened to her, and what she must do take control of her life. This novel will leave readers shaken, but is an important text that can help students understand important social issues that plague our country, and countries around the world.
Teaching Ideas
English
10.4 The student will read, comprehend, and analyze literary texts of different cultures and eras.
d) Analyze the cultural or social function of literature.
After completing Asking For It, students in tenth grade English classes will participate in a class discussion about the author's purpose in writing this particular novel. To prepare for the discussion, students will formulate an hypothesis that explains the author's purpose. Next, they use library resources to find evidence that backs up their hypothesis.
Health
10.3 The student will advocate for personal health and well-being and promote health-enhancing behaviors for others.
v) Develop a list of resources that promote healthy relationships and assist with unhealthy and abusive peer, family, and dating relationships.
After reading Asking For It, students in tenth grade health classes will be divided into three groups that will use library resources to complete a research project. Each group will be responsible for researching either peer, family or dating relationships and discussing what healthy relationships look like, how to recognize unhealthy relationships and developing a list of resources that teens can use if they find themselves in unhealthy relationships.
Family Life
10.3 The student will examine values, morals, and ethics essential to the growth and maintenance of positive human relationships.
Descriptive Statement: The universal values of honesty, trustworthiness, self‑control, responsibility for self and others, and social justice are discussed as well as the development of moral and ethical systems, the definition of consent, and respecting others right to say no.
After reading Asking For It, students will each choose a character from the novel and evaluate their values and morals. Students will participate in a class discussion centered around these characters and their motives and discuss their responses to characters' actions throughout the novel. After participating in the discussion, students will break off into groups and, using library resources, and conduct a basic search on the term "universal moral code." Students will discuss their findings within their group, and then as a whole class.
English
10.8 The student will collect, evaluate, organize, and present information to create a research product.
a) Use technology as a tool to research, organize, evaluate, synthesize, and communicate information.
d) Make sense of information gathered from diverse sources by identifying misconceptions, main and supporting ideas, conflicting information, point of view or bias.
Students will be complete a research project that responds to the question, "how can I make a difference in my community?" Students will choose a social issue or organization that interests them and use library resources to complete the research aspect of the project.
Further Explorations
Asking For It Book Trailer - This book trailer give students an idea of what to expect before reading Louise O'Neill's Asking For It and will garner student interest. Teachers might consider showing this trailer, having a class discussion and then giving students the option to read an alternate text (like Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak) that is less explicit, but deals with the same types of issues.
Tea Consent - This video breaks down the concept of consent in terms of offering some one a cup of tea. Many people (students and adults) have a hard time defining consent. This video explains it in no uncertain terms and is an excellent resource to use when introducing the idea of consent.
Why I Explore Rape Culture in My New Book for Teens - This article was written by Louise O'Neill and appeared in September of 2015 and discusses why O'Neill was moved to write Asking For It. Students who are left with questions at the end of the novel will benefit from the author's explanation. Alternatively, teachers could use this article as an introduction to the novel.
Teen Line - This website provides students with the opportunity to reach out and talk to some one about issues that they are experiences. With an extensive message board, and the opportunity to chat via call, text, or email, students can find help and discuss problems with peers that they might not feel comfortable talking with an adult about.
RAINN - This article is published by RAINN, the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network and outlines some of the warning signs of that teen victims of sexual assault might display. It also contains links to further regarding abusive relationships and cyberbullying and harassment. This article is written in a format that all readers can access.
PACER's National Bullying Prevention Center - This website provides students with information regarding bullying in multiple formats. One of the many atrocities that the protagonist is subjected to is cyberbullying in a form that is sickening. Pacer's National Bullying Prevention Center provides students with the resources that they need to be responsible users of information and technology. Complete with audio, video and text, this resource will appeal to all students.
The Rise of Social Media Cyberbullying (Infographic) - This infographic provides students with information regarding cyberbullying as it pertains to social media. Any students who has a social media account will find this information fascinating, and due to its format, easy to access. A teacher could use this infographic to elicit a class discussion on cyberbullying as it pertains to Emma in Asking For It.
Partner Titles
Anderson, L. (1999). Speak. Harrisonburg, VA: R.R. Donnelley and Sons Company.
This National Book Award Finalist by Laurie Halse Anderson holds the story of Melinda, a ninth grade student who was raped at a party and ostracized by her classmates for contacting the police. With deft humor, and heartbreaking honesty, Anderson perfectly captures what it means to be 14 and unsure of who you are, and what you're worth. This text would pair complement Asking For It and provide less mature readers with an opportunity to participate in discussions without reading such a graphic account of sexual assault.
Lynch, C. (2005). Inexcusable. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster.
Keir Sarafian is a good guy. He's a loving son, and a devoted brother, and if there's anything he knows, it's that he'd never, ever hurt the girl he loves. Until he does. Printz Award-Winning author, Chris Lynch, tells a story of date rape - from the point of view of the rapist. National Book Award Finalist, Inexcusable, forces readers to consider the consequences of our actions, and what it means to be a good person.
Cohen, B. & Shenk, J. (2016). Audrie & Daisy [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.netflix.com/search?q=audrie%20and%20&jbv=80097321&jbp=0&jbr=0 Nominated for eight awards, and winner of the Cinema Eye Honors Award (2017), Audrie and Daisy tells the story of two young women from different towns in the United States who were the victims of sexual violence and, subsequently, shamed on social media. Although this documentary is recommended for ages 16+, students will benefit from a look at two true stories of women who have suffered at the hands of their communities.
Dick, K. (2015). The hunting ground [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.netflix.com/watch/80036655?trackId=13752290&tctx=0%2C1%2Cafd696e9a496c2a6315b62b515126f49ecc8e176%3A19abb609180f4b61b1b272738c64a05fdbff6419
Nominated for 23 awards and winner of 8, The Hunting Ground is a documentary that sheds light on sexual assault on college campuses and the cover ups that many institutions attempt to shield themselves from bad press and lawsuits. This documentary also discusses the devastating impact of sexual assault on students and their families. Again, students have the opportunity to see real world situations and discuss what can be done to promote justice for sexual assault victims.
References
Blue Seat Studios. (2015, May 13). Tea consent (clean). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGoWLWS4-kU
ELearning Media. (2015, November 20). The rise of social media cyberbullying infographic. Retrieved from http://elearninginfographics.com/rise-social-media-cyberbully/
Lisa Librarian. (2017, July 12). Asking for it book trailer. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-KGt5-WrtA
O'Neill, L. (2015, September 02). Why I explore rape culture in my new book for teens. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/childrens-books-site/2015/sep/02/rape-culture-teen-book-louise-oneill
PACER. (2017). National Bullying Prevention Center. Retrieved from http://www.pacer.org/bullying/
RAINN. (2017). Warning signs for teens. Retrieved from https://www.rainn.org/articles/warning-signs-teens.
Teenline.org. (2017). Teens helping teens - Connect, talk, get help! Retrieved from https://teenlineonline.org/
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