 
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
4 in 5 say they're victims despite efforts by educators
Tuesday, June 05, 2001
By Jane Elizabeth, Post-Gazette Education Writer
Despite efforts in recent years to cool off teens and their tendencies to touch, grope and talk sexually to one another, sexual harassment today remains a part of many students' everyday lives -- whether they're boys or girls, urban or rural, middle or high schoolers.
A study conducted for the American Association of University Women shows that four of five students say they have experienced some type of sexual harassment in school. And one in four say they're harassed "often."
The report, "Hostile Hallways II: Bullying, Teasing and Sexual Harassment in School," was conducted by Harris Interactive, formerly Louis Harris & Associates. It will be released officially tomorrow but a summary currently is available on the AAUW Web site.
The organization commissioned the study as a follow-up to its original 1993 "Hostile Hallways" report. The most significant change was in the number of students, grades eight through 11, who said they knew about their schools' sexual harassment policies.
This year's study showed that 69 percent reported their schools had such policies; 22 percent said they were not sure. In 1993, 26 percent reported that their schools had policies while 57 percent said they were not sure.
The number of boys who reported being harassed "often" or "occasionally" increased from 49 percent in 1993 to 56 percent this year. But girls were far more likely to report some types of harassment -- and to suffer because of it.
While about half of all girls in the study said they were the recipients of "sexual comments, jokes, gestures or looks," about a third of the boys said that had happened to them.
Girls also were far more likely to be touched, grabbed or pinched in a sexual way, but boys were more likely to be taunted as being gay.
Of the students surveyed, 54 percent said they have sexually harassed someone in school.
About a third of all girls who reported harassment said they stopped talking in class, and another third said they didn't want to go to school after being harassed.
Girls also were far more likely than boys to find it difficult to study, make lower grades and change where they sit or their routes home because of harassment.
The study concluded that the incidence of harassment was not substantially different in rural and urban schools, nor was it influenced by race or grade levels.
The report also charged that most harassment "occurs right under teachers' noses." Students said they were most likely to be harassed in a hallway (71 percent) or the classroom (61 percent).
The least likely sites for harassment, according to the report, were the restroom (12 percent) and in driver's education (4 percent).
While 86 percent of reported incidents involved students harassing other students, 38 percent of respondents reported being harassed by teachers or other school employees. That figure declined from 44 percent in 1993.
In schools that distribute materials on sexual harassment policies, almost all students -- 98 percent -- said they know what sexual harassment is.
"That is most definitely true," said Marcia Martin, principal at Carson Middle School in North Allegheny School District. Martin was instrumental in developing the district's harassment policy in 1994 and was honored in 1997 by the AAUW for her work with sexual harassment policies.
Students in her district, she said, "are aware of our expectations and aware of the consequences."
North Allegheny's anti-harassment policy is now part of the school safety plan, is included in the district handbook and is discussed by teachers and students at Carson at the beginning of each year.
If they're harassed, students are told, they should ask the harasser to stop, then tell an adult and keep records of what happened and when.
The AAUW study showed that 61 percent of students tell a friend they were harassed, 24 percent tell a relative and 11 percent tell a teacher. And 20 percent said they tell no one. Boys are less likely than girls to reveal harassment, 17 percent vs. 24 percent.
While Martin said that "we as educators have done a much more thorough job" in trying to combat harassment, AAUW's executive director said more work is needed.
"Parents, teachers and administrators need to do a better job educating our children on what is and what isn't appropriate," said Jacqueline Woods.
Respondents in the AAUW study were told that sexual harassment is "unwanted and unwelcome sexual behavior that interferes with your life. Sexual harassment is not behaviors that you like or want [for example, wanted kissing, touching or flirting]."
The survey was conducted nationwide in September and November, with about three-quarters of the 2,064 public school students questioned during English classes and about one-fourth surveyed online.
The researchers also asked students their most recent experiences with sexual harassment. Here are some examples from boys:
From girls:
The report summary can be found on the Internet at http://www.aauw.org/2000/hostile.html.
Harassment in the hallways 
"A girl pulled down my shorts, exposing my boxers, and then kissed me." "Being called fat and gay." "Some idiot jocks called me gay. ... They use that as a generic slam for anyone that's different from them." "Someone made a motion like they were masturbating." "Stares when I wear tight clothes." "Being forced to kiss someone."