Widespread Sexual Harassment Found in U.S. Schools
By Sue Pleming
Originally published by Reuters, June 6, 2001
WASHINGTON (Reuters) — Four out of five U.S. students—both boys and girls—complain of sexual harassment at school from verbal taunts to unwanted touching, according to a report released on Wednesday.
The study by the American Association of University Women (AAUW) Educational Foundation, said despite a zero-tolerance policy in most schools, students faced sexual harassment both in words and actions, often right under a teacher's nose.
"Sexual harassment is part of everyday life for boys and girls at school," said Jacqueline Woods, executive director of the AAUW, an advocacy group pushing for equity in education for women and girls.
Most of the students surveyed said their school had a policy about harassment compared to just a quarter in a 1993 AAUW study. However, this "sea change" in policy had not translated into fewer incidents.
"Parents, teachers and administrators need to do a better job educating our children on what is and what isn't appropriate," said Woods.
The report, called "Hostile Hallways II, Bullying, Teasing and Sexual Harassment in School," was based on a survey of 2,064 public school students between 8th and 11th grades. The margin of error for the survey is plus or minus five percent.
It found 83 percent of girls and 79 percent of boys had suffered harassment of one form or another, roughly the same number reported in the 1993 survey.
Of the students, 76 percent experienced nonphysical harassment, such as taunts, rumors, graffiti, jokes or gestures, while 58 percent endured physical harassment.
Students were given a definition of sexual harassment as "unwanted and unwelcome sexual behavior that interferes with your life." It did not include behaviors they might welcome, such as "wanted kissing, flirting or touching."
GIRLS AFFECTED
Girls were more likely to be report being negatively affected by harassment than boys, with 44 percent of girls feeling "self-conscious" against 19 percent of boys because of an unpleasant incident.
Girls were more likely to change their behavior in school and at home because of the experience, including not talking as much in class (30 percent to 18 percent) and avoiding the person who harassed them (56 percent to 24 percent).
Girls were consistently more likely to say they would be "very upset" by all 14 examples of nonphysical and physical harassment presented to them, from spreading sexual rumors about them to pulling off their clothing in a sexual way.
However, both boys and girls were "very upset" over taunts on their sexuality and being labeled gay or lesbian, with 74 percent of boys and 73 percent of girls feeling this way.
"This response is disturbing as it points to the area of homophobia in schools," said Pamela Haag, the foundation's director of research.
The foundation said the survey proved the problem of classroom harassment could not be shrugged off as normal pre-teen and teen-age behavior.
Haag said there was a "code of silence" among students who were reluctant to report an incident to a teacher or another adult for fear of recrimination from their peers.
The National Education Association, which represents about 2.6 million teachers, said it planned to form a task force with the AAUW to address sexual harassment in schools by training adults to intervene effectively to stop the problem.
"For children who are constantly picked on, ridiculed or harassed, school becomes torture," said NEA president Bob Chase in a statement.
