AAUW offers the current report and educators action guide as free downloadable PDFs. See below to download.
Four of five students—boys and girls—report that they
have experienced some type of sexual harassment in school, despite
a greater awareness of school policies dealing with the issue,
according to a new report, Hostile Hallways: Bullying, Teasing, and Sexual Harassment in School by
the American Association of University Women Educational Foundation.
According
to the students surveyed, sexual harassment—words and actions—in school
happens often, occurs under teachers' noses, can begin in elementary
school, and is very upsetting to both girls and boys.
"This report says it clearly. Sexual harassment is part
of everyday life for boys and girls at school," said Jacqueline
Woods, AAUW
Executive Director. "While students say they are aware of school
policies dealing with sexual harassment, increased awareness
has not translated into fewer incidents of sexual harassment
in school life. Parents, teachers, and administrators need to
do a better job educating our children on what is and what isn't
appropriate."
According
to the report, based on a national survey of 2,064 public school
students in 8th through 11th grades conducted by Harris Interactive:
- 83% of girls and 79% of boys report having ever experienced harassment.
- The
number of boys reporting experiences with harassment often or
occasionally has increased since 1993 (56% vs. 49%), although girls are
still somewhat more likely to experience it.
- For many students sexual harassment is an ongoing experience:
over 1 in 4 students experience it "often."
- These numbers do not differ by whether the school is urban or suburban or rural.
-
76% of students have experienced non-physical harassment while
58% have experienced physical harassment. Non-physical harassment
includes taunting, rumors, graffiti, jokes or gestures. One-third
of all students report experiencing physical harassment "often
or occasionally."
-
Actions
hurt but so do words. When given 14 examples of non-physical and
physical harassment, students say they would be very upset if someone
did the following:
- Spread sexual rumors about them (75%)
-
Pulled off or down their clothing in a sexual way (74%)
-
Said that they were gay or lesbian (73%)
-
Forced them to do something sexual other than kissing (72%)
-
Spied on them as they dressed or showered at school (69%)
-
Although large groups of both boys and girls report experiencing
harassment, girls are more likely to report being negatively affected
by it.
- Girls are far more likely than boys to feel "self conscious"
(44% to 19%), "embarrassed" (53% to 32%), and "less confident"
(32% to 16%) because of an incident of harassment.
-
Girls are more likely than boys to change behaviors in school and at
home because of the experience, including not talking as much in class
(30% to 18%) and avoiding the person who harassed them (56% to 24%).
-
Girls were consistently more likely to say they would be "very
upset" by all 14 incidents of sexual harassment, with the exception
of being called gay or lesbian (boys — 74 %, girls — 73
%).
- There
has been a sea change in awareness of school policies about harassment
since 1993. Seven in 10 students (69%) say that their school has a
policy on sexual harassment, compared to only 26% of students in 1993.
-
Nearly all students (96%) say they know what harassment is, and boys' and girls' definitions do not differ substantially.
-
Substantial numbers of students fear being sexually harassed or hurt in school.
-
A substantial number of students—both boys and girls—fear
being hurt by someone in their school life. Eighteen percent (18%)
are afraid some or most of the time, and less than half (46%) are
"never" afraid in school.
-
One-third of students fear being sexually harassed in school. Hispanic
boys and girls are more likely than African American students to feel
afraid.
Students surveyed were provided with the common definition of sexual
harassment as "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)."
"This report is a follow-up to the first nationwide survey on sexual
harassment in schools, also commissioned by the AAUW Educational
Foundation and researched by Harris Interactive (then known as
Louis Harris & Associates)," states Sharon Schuster, President
of the Foundation.
- According to the new report, harassment has many facets:
- Peer-on-peer harassment is most common for both boys and
girls, although 7% of boys and girls experiencing physical or nonphysical harassment report being harassed by a teacher.
- Boys are more likely than girls to report non-physical harassment in locker rooms (28% v. 15%) or restrooms (15% to 9%).
- Half of boys reporting harassment have been non-physically harassed by a girl or
woman,
and 39% by a group of girls or women. In contrast, girls are most
likely to report harassment by one boy or man (73% in non-physical
harassment; 84% in physical harassment).
- Over one-third (35%) of students who have been harassed report that they first experienced it in elementary school.
- Most harassment occurs under teachers' noses
in the classroom (61% for physical harassment and 56% for non-physical)
and in the halls (71% for physical harassment and 64% for nonphysical).
- Students are perpetrators, too. Slightly more than
half of students (54%) say that they have sexually harassed
someone during their school life. This represents a decrease
from 1993, when 59% admitted as much. In particular, boys are
less likely than in 1993 to report being a "perpetrator" (57%
to 66%).
"The findings of our report cannot and should not be shrugged off
with the attitude that this is just normal pre-teen and teenage
behavior. Nor should we assume that 'zero tolerance' for all
offenders will help teach children the difference between 'flirting
and hurting.' Lines can be drawn, for example, between flirting
that is wanted and flirting that is unwanted and other behaviors
that are meant to hurt and harass," added Schuster.
"This report shows that we have much more work to do in educating
our students and training our teachers and administrators—as
early as elementary school—in dealing appropriately with
sexual harassment," added Woods. To follow up this report, AAUW
today announced that it was forming a partnership with the National
Education Association and a task force to address sexual harassment
in schools. "We are recruiting leading educators and national
organizations connected with public schools," said Woods, "to
join this effort which we believe is desperately needed to reduce
the incidence of these emotionally and physically harmful behaviors
in our schools."
"For children who are constantly picked on, ridiculed or harassed,
school becomes torture," said NEA President Bob Chase. "We hope
this partnership with AAUW will take the terror out of school
and provide a more peaceful learning environment for all students
by training caring adults to intervene effectively."
Download the report. (PDF)
Download the action guide to help students, parents, and educators stop sexual harassment in school. (PDF)
About Harris Interactive
Harris Interactive (Nasdaq: HPOL) is a worldwide market research,
polling, and consulting firm. It is best known for The Harris Poll
and its pioneering use of the Internet to conduct scientifically
accurate market research. Through its U.S. and global network offices,
Harris Interactive conducts international research in multiple,
localized languages. Harris Interactive currently maintains a database
of more than 7 million online panelists—the largest of its
kind.
To purchase the 1993 study, visit ShopAAUW or call 800/225-9998.
|