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Sexual harassment in education in the United States


Sexual harassment in education in the United States is an unwelcome behavior of a sexual nature that interferes with an American student’s ability to learn, study, work or participate in school activities. It is common in middle and high schools in the United States. Sexual or gender harassment is a form of discrimination under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. Sexual harassment involves a range of behavior from mild annoyances to unwanted touching and in extreme cases sexual assault and rape.

The definition of sexual harassment includes harassment by both peers and individuals in a position of power relative to the person being harassed. In schools, though sexual harassment initiated by students is most common, it can also be perpetrated by teachers or other school employees, and the victim can be a student, a teacher, or other school employee. While sexual harassment is legally defined as "unwanted" behavior, it has been argued that even consensual sexual interactions between students and teachers constitute harassment because the inherent power differential creates a dynamic in which "mutual consent" is impossible.

In their 2000 survey on 2064 students in 8th through 11th grade, the American Association of University Women (AAUW) reported:

In their recent study (AAUW 2006) on sexual harassment at colleges and universities, the AAUW claimed that while both men and women were targets of sexual harassment, "women are disproportionately negatively affected."

In the "Report Card on Gender Equity," the NCWGE that 30 percent of undergraduate students, and 40 percent of graduate students, have been sexually harassed. (NCWGE, 1997)

The Associated Press reported 2,500 cases of teacher sexual misconduct between 2002 and 2007. From 2001 to 2005, 2,570 teacher credentials were revoked for sexual misconduct. There were about 3 million teachers at the time.

According to surveys conducted by the AAUW in 1993 and 2001:

In the same surveys (AAUW 1993, 2001) it was found that:

There are three primary types of sexual harassment found in schools: verbal, nonverbal, and physical. The most common type is verbal, followed by physical, and nonverbal. In the survey conducted by the AAUW in 2000, it was found that 6 out of 10, or 58% of the students reported experiencing some form of physical harassment at some point during their time in school, and 76% reported experiencing nonphysical (verbal or nonverbal) at some point during their time in school.


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