Student-on-Student Sexual Harassment
With all the talk about bullying in schools these days, there’s a bigger problem that often goes overlooked: Student-on-student sexual harassment.
According to a new survey, half of all students in grades 7-through-12 have experienced some form of sexual harassment in the past year. That percentage includes both girls and boys. The most common forms of sexual harassment included unwanted groping in hallways, spreading malicious sexual rumors about a student, showing lewd photos on a cell phone, or even forwarding links to inappropriate websites.
Even worse: This new survey found that 90% percent of students did nothing about their harassment, usually because they didn’t want to make the situation worse, or they believed reporting it wouldn’t have an impact.
Catherine Hill conducted this new study for the Association of University Women. She says a lot of people want to lump “sexual harassment” with “bullying,” as if they’re the same problem, but they’re not! That’s because while bullying laws vary from state-to-state, sexual harassment has long been considered a federal offense, meaning you can go to jail for it.
She says that’s especially true if the harassment interferes with a student’s education. because students who’ve been sexually harassed often report a reluctance to go to school, or they live in fear of their personal safety!
That’s why Hill says schools need to spend more time educating students about their rights, and encouraging them to report sexual harassment, because whether you call it “bullying” or “sexual harassment,” it must be stopped.
According to a new survey, half of all students in grades 7-through-12 have experienced some form of sexual harassment in the past year. That percentage includes both girls and boys. The most common forms of sexual harassment included unwanted groping in hallways, spreading malicious sexual rumors about a student, showing lewd photos on a cell phone, or even forwarding links to inappropriate websites.
Even worse: This new survey found that 90% percent of students did nothing about their harassment, usually because they didn’t want to make the situation worse, or they believed reporting it wouldn’t have an impact.
Catherine Hill conducted this new study for the Association of University Women. She says a lot of people want to lump “sexual harassment” with “bullying,” as if they’re the same problem, but they’re not! That’s because while bullying laws vary from state-to-state, sexual harassment has long been considered a federal offense, meaning you can go to jail for it.
She says that’s especially true if the harassment interferes with a student’s education. because students who’ve been sexually harassed often report a reluctance to go to school, or they live in fear of their personal safety!
That’s why Hill says schools need to spend more time educating students about their rights, and encouraging them to report sexual harassment, because whether you call it “bullying” or “sexual harassment,” it must be stopped.
