Resources

50 Things Everyone Should Know About Sexual Harassment

1. Sexual harassment is uninvited, unwanted and unwelcome sexual attention.
2. Sexual jokes, teasing, name-calling, pictures or graffiti can all be forms of sexual harassment.
3. Unwanted touching and threats are sexual harassment.
4. Asking a person for sex in exchange for a better grade, a raise or a promotion is sexual harassment.
5. Creating a hostile environment through words or actions of a sexual nature is sexual harassment.
6. Comments about a person’s body, sexual activity or sexual orientation can be sexual harassment.
7. Sexual harassment can make a person feel uncomfortable or threatened.
8. Sexual harassment is not a joke; it is a real and serious problem.
9. Anyone – any social class, economic class, race or religion – can become the target of sexual harassment.
10. Both women and men can be the target of sexual harassment.
11. Both women and men can sexually harass someone.
12. Someone of the opposite sex or the same sex can harass you.
13. You can be harassed by one person or by a group of people.
14. Sexual harassment can come from a person in power, like a teacher or boss.
15. Sexual harassment can also come from peers.
16. Four in five students say they have experienced some form of sexual harassment at school or school events.
17. Seventy-nine percent of students who have been harassed were targeted by other students.
18. A student who is being harassed may have trouble learning, drop a class or drop out of school.
19. Thirty-three percent of girls who are harassed at school don’t want to attend school.
20. The most common types of harassment in schools include name calling, sexual comments, jokes, gestures and unwanted touching.
21. A person who is being harassed at work may not be able to do as good a job.
22. As many as ninety percent of women in the United States have been the target of some form of sexual harassment at work.
23. In ten percent of reported sexual harassment cases, the targets are men.
24. Two-thirds of sexual harassment complaints at work were brought against a supervisor or someone else with greater power.
25. People who are sexually harassed often fear for their safety.
26. A person who is being harassed may feel confused, guilty, helpless, angry, frightened, and alone.
27. Ninety percent of women who have been sexually harassed have problems with headaches, sleep disorders, weight loss or gain, nausea, lowered self-esteem or some other type of stress reaction.
28. If you are the target of sexual harassment, talk to a close friend or family member about your feelings.
29. If you are being harassed, it is not your fault.
30. Ignoring sexual harassment won’t make it stop; if it is ignored or not reported, it is likely to continue or become worse.
31. If you are being harassed, tell the person to stop.  In many cases, this is all that is needed to make the harassment stop.
32. Say, “This is sexual harassment and I want it to stop now”.
33. If you are not comfortable saying stop, or if it continues after you’ve said stop, ask for help.
34. If you are being harassed at school, you can get help from a school official such as a teacher or principal.
35. Many schools and colleges have an affirmative action office, student affairs office or Title IX office.  These are good places to go for help.
36. If you are harassed at work, you can get help from a trusted supervisor or manager.
37. Schools and workplaces are legally required to stop sexual harassment.
38. Schools and employers can be held responsible if they know about the harassment and don’t try to stop it.
39. If the harassment continues, you can file a complaint.
40. If you are harassed at school, you can file a complaint through the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights.
41. If you are harassed at work, you can file a complaint through the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
42. Some types of harassment – like assault or rape – are punishable by jail time.
43. If you have been attacked or raped, call the police.
44. If you are being harassed, write down what happened including the date, time, place and names of any witnesses.  This will help if you need to file a complaint.
45. You don’t have to be the target of the harassment to be affected by it.
46. If someone else is being harassed at school or work, you can file a complaint even if you are not the target.
47. It can be hard to speak out against sexual harassment – but it’s important to do so.
48. Everyone has the right to a school and work environment free of sexual harassment.
49. Sexual harassment should never be tolerated.
50. Everyone deserves to be treated with respect.