New Study Shows Sexual Harassment Common in Schools

A new survey released by the American Association of University Women has shown that nearly 50 percent of students aged 7 to 12 were subjected to some form of sexual harassment.

The findings of the study are published in a report entitled Crossing the Line: Sexual Harassment at School. Surveyors interviewed 1,002 girls and 953 boys and found that a large percentage of those students were sexually harassed in various ways. They were either harassed in school or over the internet or cell phones.

Student harassment included unwanted comments or touching, being shown sexually explicit photographs, being called gay or lesbian in a negative way and being the subject of sexual rumors. Many of the students surveyed stated the harassment made them feel sick and interfered with their studies or ability to concentrate.

However, these students, unlike adults who employ sexual harassment attorneys to end the harassment, rarely report the incidents to adults. Only 9 percent of the students said they reported the harassment to school authorities or their parents.

The survey also found that schools often don’t properly address this harassment and instead lump it into the category of bullying and either ignore or downplay the sexual harassment.

In the workplace, if an employee’s harassment is not addressed by supervisors they have the option of seeking out a sexual harassment lawyer, but students often tolerate the harassment.

 If sexual harassment isn’t addressed in younger people they may grow up to harass their fellow college students and co-workers, leading to lawsuits filed by sexual harassment attorneys.