While sexual harassment is addressed on college campuses it is not regularly targeted on the high school level. The main reason for this is that sexual harassment is an unwelcome sexual advance. With the discussion of unwelcome advances, comes discussion of welcome advances and that is a controversial topic for teens in schools.
Sexual Harassment
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 defines sexual harassment as "Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature". While originally intended to provide protections within the work environment, court decisions have expanded this definition to other areas where harassment is possible.
Discussion of sexual harassment can be somewhat challenging with adults of differing views on sexuality or college students who are exercising their new found independence. But it is an exceptionally delicate subject for teens where their acceptance as sexual beings is often denied or repressed despite their obvious physical development.
Teens often receive conflicting messages from parents, teachers and other role models about their sexuality. When sexual harassment occurs in this climate it can lead to even further confusion about what is appropriate behavior.
Preventing Teen Sexual Harassment
Prevention is the best method for dealing with sexual harassment. However, discussing sexual harassment without explaining the difference between welcome and unwelcome sexual advances is a bit like trying to demonstrate how water boils to a chemistry class without using a Bunsen burner.
The first step is to create an environment where teens feel comfortable talking about their sexuality because, if they don't feel comfortable talking about their sexuality, they certainly won't feel comfortable talking about when they feel sexually violated.
The following is far from a comprehensive list but some common issues to keep in mind about sexually harassment are:
- The victim as well as the harasser may be a female or male. The victim does not have to be of the opposite sex.
- The harasser can be the victim's teacher, fellow student, mentor, or employer.
- The victim does not have to be the person harassed but could be anyone affected by the offensive conduct.
- Unlawful sexual harassment may occur without threat of injury or retribution to the victim.
- The harasser's conduct must be unwelcome.
It is important for the victim to inform the harasser that the conduct is unwelcome. The victim should inform parents and use any school complaint or grievance system available.
Above all, it is essential that the teen reporting the harassment not be made to feel as though he or she is doing something wrong by coming forward. A thorough investigation should be conducted to determine everyone's role in the situation but, there is potential for the victim to be traumatized again by the very systems meant to protect them.
