sexual harassment in Schools Sexual harassment is a very sensitive problem that more and more people are becoming aware of. Only if earlier we talked about the presence of this issue in the workplace, it now moved on to schools and this is a very disturbing fact. In his article Schools, liability, and sexual harassment Kris Axtman takes a look at how far this problem can lead. He describes a case of a female student who was killed by her ex-boyfriend at school. Whats interesting is that the girl did ask teachers for help not long before her death, explained that her boyfriend was growing more violent, was sexually harassing her and she was afraid and not sure in her safety. However, teachers showed utmost indifference and did nothing to prevent the assault, which eventually resulted in tragedy.
The author goes on to describe difficulties in store for those who decide to take the issue into the court. The law called Title IX does not directly address the problem and although there have been clarifications to this law about sexual abuse, such cases can be extremely hard to win and most suits of this nature have failed. Of course, this dramatic story is an extreme case and most of sexual harassment in schools is limited to verbal abuse or teachers and other school officials preferential attitude. The number of students being harassed is very disturbing the American Association of University Women (AAUW) published a report on the subject in 2001, showing that 83 percent of girls and 79 percent of boys in 8th through 11th grades have experienced harassment at school. However, there are reasons to be hopeful about growing awareness of schools about the need to develop educational policies, which will help prevent sexual harassment and explain what is considered acceptable behavior and which acts are punishable according to the law. A lot of work is being done in this direction: Only 26 percent of students said their school had a sexual-harassment policy in 1993.
The Essay on Sexual Harassment
You wouldnt think that giving someone a compliment, like Hey you look sexy today, would be considered harassment. However, in todays world anything is possible. Sexual harassment has become a big issue in society and sometimes a person can take it to the extreme. There are many things that can be considered harassment, there are many ways to prevent it, and there are things you can do to help ...
Eight years later, 69 percent said their school had such a policy. Effort has been made to make schools more secure, there appeared metal detectors, locks, check-in system was introduced. All this will contribute to prevention and elimination of sexual abuse within school walls, as safety is the right step to this problem solution. What I find most shocking about the issue is lack of concern, attention to and participation in prevention of sexual harassment from the school staff. It is a proved fact that most of all sexual harassment acts take place either in the school hallways or classrooms, places which actually are supposed to be supervised by teachers, administration or both. Students have to attend school and have full right to enjoy safety in the place they study, communicate and interact both with their peers as well as elders. However, it is rarely that students do inform their supervisors about being sexually harassed, but even when they do, in most of the cases they are simply ignored.
And that leads to very sad, sometimes even tragic, consequences. Such behavior to some extent can be explained by factual absence of any strict school policy about sexual harassment incidents. Teachers, when confronted with such issue, simply do not know how to react, they do not have any prescribed rules as to what to do in such situation. Moreover it can be confusing for some to differentiate between the act of real sexual harassment or kids joking without taking any offence. Thats why it is highly recommended that schools develop their own sexual harassment policy where they can specify what exactly is considered to be sexual abuse, describe its kinds and the ways to deal with each different type of unacceptable behavior at school. Both teachers as well as students have to be made aware of this and should be able to recognize abuse when they see it and should be able to react to it in a proper way. I believe, that awareness is the most important in overcoming sexual harassment problem in schools. Then goes safety. Safety and awareness these are the two aspects that will help prevent, if not eliminate, cases of sexual harassment in schools. Reference list: Kris Axtman Schools, liability, and sexual harassment, December 08, 2003. Retrieved April 18, 2005 from http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/1208/p01s01-ussc.htm l.
The Essay on Sexual Harassment In The School
... in the American society. Bibliography Axtman, Kris, Schools, liability, and sexual harassment, The Christian Science Monitor, December 08, 2003, ... not an ordinary one. Most harassment consists of students' verbal abuse or of teachers' preferential treatment. The American Association ... to demand the safety for their children.This safety should become the real concern of the school administration. The ...
