What is Sexual Harassment?
Sexual Harassment is defined as: Any unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature...

Sexual harassment is an ambiguous group of behaviors, which accounts for a large part of the problem. Whether harassment has occurred is truly in the "eye of the beholder"- or ear. Some people may consider "Hey, babe," as a harmless, flirtatious comment, while others may see it as sexual harassment. The deciding factor is the feelings a particular phrase, gesture, or behavior evokes in the individual on the receiving end.

Most victims of sexual harassment- women and men, adults and teens- just try to ignore it, hoping it will stop. In fact, ignoring harassment usually aggravates it.

Women sometimes appear to go along with their harassers, joking and giggling even when they are offended or afraid. If they get angry enough or frustrated enough, they may confront their harassers; some studies have indicated that women are more likely to do this than men.

Many vicitms never report incidents of sexual harassment because they fear reprisal or retaliation, or thy assume that reporting won't do any good. One study showed that 41 percent of victims felt that reporting made the harassment worse, and nothing happened to the harasser.

Misunderstandings can lead to inappropriate and even harazzing behaviors. Both men and women would benefit from learning how to communicate clearly and how to question their own assumptions, especially when interpreting cues reveived from others.

Examples of sexually harassing behaviors reported in U.S. High Schools

• Touching(arm, breast, buttock, etc.)
• Verbal comments (about parts of the body, what type of sex victim would be "good at," clothing, looks, etc.)
• Name-calling (from "honey" to "bitch" and worse)
• Spreading sexual rumors
• Leers and stares
• Sexual or "dirty" jokes
• Cartoons, pictures, and pornography
• Using the computer to leave sexual messages
• Gestures with the hands and body
• Pressure for sexual activity
• Cornering, blocking, standing too close, following
• Conversations that are too personal
• "Rating" an individual- for example, on a scale from 1 to 10
• Obscene T-shirts, hats, pins
• Showing R-rated movies during class
• Sexual assault and attempted sexual assault
• Rape
• Massaging the neck, massaging the shoulders
• Touching oneself sexually in front of others
• Graffiti
• Making kissing sounds, likcing lips suggestively
• Howling, catcalls, whistles
• Facial expressions
• "Slam books" (lists of names with derogatory sexual comments written about them)