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 harassment lawyers 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.
