Sexual harrassment of teens on the rise

By Maddie Binning, Talon staff writer

Sexual harassment has been on the rise among students in grades 7 through 12, according to study conducted by the American Association of University Women released on Nov. 7.  Based on the survey, 56 percent of girls and 40 percent of boys have reported being harassed.

Harrassment includes unwelcome sexual comments or jokes and being forced to do something sexual. Many students that reported being harassed also reported negative effects, such as absenteeism, stomach issues and poor sleep. The study showed that girls were more affected than boys.

Half of the harassment victims said they did nothing about it, while nine percent told an adult at school and 27 percent said they talked to a family member.

Holly Kearl, an author of the report and program manager of the university association’s Advocacy Fund, told the New York Times about some schools reducing sexual harassment by talking to students and helping them know how to respond to it.

“Bullying is getting a lot of attention,” Kearl told the Times. “We don’t want schools to forget about sexual harassment.”