Four of Five Schoolkids Experience Sexual Harassment
June 6, 2001 (Washington) -- Just what are kids learning in school these days?
According to a survey of more than 2,000 public school students in 8th through 11th grades, 83% of girls and 79% of boys reported having been sexually harassed at some point during school time. Moreover, more than one in five students said they have experienced such harassment "often."
The survey used the definition of sexual harassment as "unwanted and unwelcome sexual behavior that interferes with your life." According to the report, nearly all students understand what harassment is, and definitions did not differ much between girls and boys.
The upshot is that "sexual harassment is part of everyday life for boys and girls at school," says Jacqueline Woods, executive director of the American Association of University Women, the group that commissioned the study.
Forget "boys will be boys" or "it's just part of growing up," says National Education Association President Bob Chase. "This is torment."
The survey found that most of school harassment is student-on-student, although 7% is teacher-on-student. It also determined that girls are far more likely to feel self-conscious, embarrassed, and less confident because of a harassment incident.
Eight years ago, the association conducted a similar survey with comparable results on the prevalence of sexual harassment. But in this survey, seven in 10 students said their school had a sexual harassment policy, compared to only 26% of students in 1993.
"I'm not surprised by these results," David Fassler, MD, a child and adolescent psychiatrist in Burlington, Vt., tells WebMD. "This is a continuing problem, that kids do feel harassed and often unsafe. This kind of harassment can have devastating effects on kids. We see kids who have actually gotten suicidal as a result of this."
Fassler, who chairs the American Psychiatric Association's council on children, adolescence, and families, says several circumstances can increase the risk that harassment will cause long-term damage to children.
As examples, he cites repeated and persistent harassment of a child, along with harassment of a child by multiple children. In addition, a child is at a high risk for emotional injury if he or she is a loner and lacks a peer support system. Also at risk are kids who already have emotional problems or physical disabilities.
Four of Five Schoolkids Experience Sexual Harassment
June 6, 2001 (Washington) -- Just what are kids learning in school these days?
According to a survey of more than 2,000 public school students in 8th through 11th grades, 83% of girls and 79% of boys reported having been sexually harassed at some point during school time. Moreover, more than one in five students said they have experienced such harassment "often."
The survey used the definition of sexual harassment as "unwanted and unwelcome sexual behavior that interferes with your life." According to the report, nearly all students understand what harassment is, and definitions did not differ much between girls and boys.
The upshot is that "sexual harassment is part of everyday life for boys and girls at school," says Jacqueline Woods, executive director of the American Association of University Women, the group that commissioned the study.
Forget "boys will be boys" or "it's just part of growing up," says National Education Association President Bob Chase. "This is torment."
The survey found that most of school harassment is student-on-student, although 7% is teacher-on-student. It also determined that girls are far more likely to feel self-conscious, embarrassed, and less confident because of a harassment incident.
Eight years ago, the association conducted a similar survey with comparable results on the prevalence of sexual harassment. But in this survey, seven in 10 students said their school had a sexual harassment policy, compared to only 26% of students in 1993.
"I'm not surprised by these results," David Fassler, MD, a child and adolescent psychiatrist in Burlington, Vt., tells WebMD. "This is a continuing problem, that kids do feel harassed and often unsafe. This kind of harassment can have devastating effects on kids. We see kids who have actually gotten suicidal as a result of this."
Fassler, who chairs the American Psychiatric Association's council on children, adolescence, and families, says several circumstances can increase the risk that harassment will cause long-term damage to children.
As examples, he cites repeated and persistent harassment of a child, along with harassment of a child by multiple children. In addition, a child is at a high risk for emotional injury if he or she is a loner and lacks a peer support system. Also at risk are kids who already have emotional problems or physical disabilities.