Health Updates
Teens and Sexual Harassment
The first time Maria saw Peter leering at her in class, she just looked away. When he kept doing it, she asked him to stop. He didn't. Soon he began grabbing or touching her whenever she passed him in the hallway.
Maria didn't like the way Peter's treatment of her made her feel. Instead of ignoring him, she decided to take action. First, she told her best friend. Then both girls went to speak to the principal together. Maria also told her parents.
Peter was told he would be severely punished if his behavior continued. He stopped. He even apologized to Maria.
Types of Sexual Harassment
Peter's behavior is an example of sexual harassment. This may be defined as any unwanted behavior that has a sexual tone and usually occurs over time. The target of the harassment is made to feel uncomfortable, embarrassed, or humiliated.
Sexual harassment is a growing concern among teens in school. It is against both state and federal laws. Sexual harassment interferes with a teen's right to learn, study, and enjoy school activities in a comfortable environment.
There are various types of harassment:
- Staring or leering at someone.
- Touching, grabbing, or pinching in a personal manner.
- Making sexual comments, gestures, or jokes.
- Repeatedly pressuring someone to go on a date or engage in sexual activity.
- Spreading rumors about a person's sexual behavior.
- Asking for sexual favors in exchange for something.
Power Play
In a survey, 85 percent of girls and 76 percent of boys said they had been sexually harassed at some point. Some said the harassment started as early as elementary school. The targets of harassment are not always girls, and the harassers are not always boys. Girls can harass boys, and female-on-female and male-on-male harassment also occurs.
Harassment is not about love or sex. It is about power. Those who have power abuse it by turning it against someone who is less powerful.
Harassment versus Flirting
Determining whether an act legally qualifies as sexual harassment can be tricky. It depends on how often it happens, how the target feels about it, and whether there is a difference in power.
Winking at a person is considered flirting. If a dirty joke is told only once, it is not considered sexual harassment. However, remarks and actions that seem threatening are examples of harassment—even if it happens once. So are physical attacks or instances of unwanted touching.
Protecting Yourself
You can protect yourself from being harassed by doing the following:
- Be aware of your environment. Is the situation risky? Are friends of yours nearby if you need help?
- Assert yourself. If someone pressures you to have sex, look the person in the eye and say no firmly. Push the person away if you need to. Call a parent or trusted adult to take you home, or leave if you drove in your own car. Remember, at any point in a sexual encounter, you have the right to stop.
- Know your boundaries. Do you feel right about what you are doing or what is being done to you? You have the right to decide whether it's okay for anyone to touch you. How close can a friend, relative, or stranger get to you before you feel uncomfortable?
- Tell someone. Report the harassment to your parents, teacher, or the police.
Just the Facts
- Describe three types of sexual harassment.
- Tell what role power plays in sexual harassment.
- What are two ways to protect yourself from being harassed? Describe them.
Beyond the Facts
- Which of the following scenarios is flirting? Which is sexual harassment?
- Jamal tells Sandra to stop calling him at home, but she continues to call.
- Carl sends flowers to a girl he doesn't know well.
- Some people feel that girls who act in certain ways are asking to be harassed. Do you agree or disagree? Explain your reasons.
Applying the Facts
Talk with your friends and classmates. Find out if any of them has been the target of sexual harassment, or if any of them has harassed another student. Discuss how it feels to be sexually harassed, and the differences between harassment and flirting.
