SEXUAL HARRASMENT (what everybody must know)

Sexual harassment is unwanted and unwelcome sexual behavior that makes a student feel uncomfortable or unsafe. It is a continuum of unwanted behaviors ranging from spoken or written comments and stares to actual physical assault and attempted rape. Sexual harassment demeans a student on the basis of his/her sex. It is often confused with flirting. However, sexual harassment does not feel good to the victim. It is a form of bullying; it is about power of one person over another. Sexual harassment is against the law.

Sexual harassment can happen to anybody, to both girls and boys. It may involve different sex or same sex situations. Sexual harassment is defined by the receiver. Perception of an incident may differ; if one person does not feel good about the interaction, the behavior needs to stop. Sexual harassment can be one-time occurrence, or it can happen many times over several weeks or months. No one deserves to be sexually harassed.

What can students do?

·         Tell the harasser to stop even though doing this may be difficult or embarrassing

·         Avoid being alone with the harasser.

·         Do not blame yourself. Harassment is not your fault.

·         If the harassment continues, keep a record of what happened (times, places, witnesses and how you reacted).

·         Save any notes or pictures from the harasser.

·         Tell a trusted adult and keep telling until you find someone who believes you.

·         Find out who at your school is responsible for dealing with complaints about sexual harassment.

·         Always tell an adult if you see someone else being harassed.

What can parents do?

·         Set a good example; treat everyone with respect.

·         Talk to your child about sexual harassment.

·         Beware that sexual harassment may involve different-sex or same-sex situations.

·         Encourage children to talk openly with you.

·         Build self-esteem by focusing on your child’s positive qualities.

·         Do not encourage or ignore sexual harassment.

·         Do not confuse sexual harassment with normal “kid stuff.” It is not teasing, flirting or harmless fun.

·         Assist your child in making contact with school personnel.

·         You have a right to file a legal complaint.

What sexual harassment maybe,

·         Mimicking someone in an insulting way.

·         Making suggestive body movements.

·         Making sexual or suggestive gestures or looks (i.e., winking, licking lips)

·         Staring at someone’s body or body parts

·         Sexual drawings or pictures

Physical

·         Touching, pinching, or grabbing body parts

·         Pulling someone’s clothes or your own clothes off

·         Giving “snuggies” or snapping bra straps

·         Brushing up against someone

·         Being forced to kiss, hug, etc. without your consent

Verbal

·         Sexual or dirty notes and jokes

·         Name calling or obscene remarks

·         Making suggestive or sexual remarks about someone’s body

·         Spreading sexual rumors or rating other students as to sexual activity or performance

·         Being called “gay” or “lesbian”

·         Talking about one’s sexual activity in front of others

Often, we do believe that the sufferer of the action is the only person affected in a way but this perception is no longer the case but both the sufferer and the doer stand in a way to equally or partially face whatever consequent that evolves out of the harassment process.

The receiver may:

·         Experience a loss of self-confidence or self-esteem

·         Feel fear, anger, embarrassment, depression, humiliation, anxiety, shame, or helplessness

·         Find it hard to pay attention or concentrate in school

·         Dread, or even avoid going to school or a class in which they expect harassment

·         Withdraw from others, or develop other social problems

·         Have difficulty sleeping

·         Exhibit a change in dress or behavior

·         Develop an inability to trust others

The harasser may:

·         Experience disciplinary action at school including suspension or expulsion

·         Suffer legal consequences that may include criminal or civil charges

·         Be unaware that their behavior may be seen as sexual harassment

·         Have trouble knowing and reading how other people feel

·         Have difficulty knowing the difference between flirting and sexual harassment

·         Experience embarrassment and/or blame

·         Experience isolation from peers

·         Develop more serious behavioral problems without intervention

Remember: it is probably sexual harassment if the person feels uncomfortable or threatened as a result of the action. It does not matter what the harasser intended.

Personally, I strongly believe that what we put on goes a long way to initiate a process of sexual harassment. Before one goes out in a particular outfit, the proceeding questions must be asked:

·         Is my outfit a morally accepted one in my society?

·         Would I in turn distract someone else’s attention?

·         Is my outfit out of context?

Modernity definitely would call for change. Even with what we put on. But it does not mean we go out naked or almost naked.

Put together by: Felix Akaho Junior

Member GMM-GHANA

GHANA INSTITUTE OF JOURNALISM

Credit: Lincoln Board Of Education