Teenagers must also deal with sexual harassment

In spite of federal laws forbidding sexual harassment in the workplace and on college campuses, thousands of claims are filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on an annual basis. But the workplace isn’t the only place where men and women face sexual harassment, an alarming number if teenagers are forced to confront this problem in the nation’s schools.

A report released by the American Association of American Women showed that nearly half of all students in grades 7 through 12 were harassed last year and only about one-fifth actually tell their parents.

And like people who are harassed in the workplace these students are adversely affected by the harassment. Students have reported that they feel distracted in school and feel physically ill. In the workplace adults often hire sexual harassment attorneys to put an end to the behavior. But students often don’t take the necessary steps to end the behavior.

Sexual harassmentlawyers can only deal with the harassment after it has become a problem. In order to avoid future harassment in the workplace it must dealt with early on. Teenagers who are harassed and don’t report it early one may also tolerate it when they become adults. Perpetrators must also be taught early that this is inappropriate behavior. 

Sexual harassment attorneys give adults the confidence to speak out against harassment in the workplace. Young people however may not have the same confidence to speak out about sexual harassment in school.