Identifying Students that Need Assistance

The Sexually Harassed Student

Sexual harassment involves unwelcome and unwanted sexual attention and/or advances, requests for sexual favors, and other inappropriate verbal comments or physical contact.  It usually occurs within the context of a relationship of unequal power, rank or status.  It does not matter whether or not the offending person’s intention was to harass.  It is the effect that harassment has that counts.  As long as the conduct interferes with a student’s academic performance, or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive learning environment, it is considered sexual harassment.  Sexual harassment usually is not an isolated, one-time-only incident, but rather, a repeated pattern of behavior that may include:

• Comments about one’s body or clothing
• Questions about one’s sexual behavior
• Demeaning references to one’s gender
• Sexual teasing, jokes, remarks, looks or gestures
• Conversations filled with innuendoes and double meanings
• Letters, phone calls, material or objects of a sexual nature
• Repeated non-reciprocated demands for dates or sex
• Deliberately touching, brushing up against, leaning over, cornering, or pinching another; being forced to kiss someone
• Actual or attempted rape or sexual assault
• Mooning or flashing
• Being the victim of sexual rumors
• Having one’s clothes pulled off or down

Students who have been sexually harassed often display these characteristics:

• Signs of stress and anxiety
• Feeling powerless and helpless
• Doubting their own perceptions of what happened
• Wondering if the incident was a joke
• Questioning if they have brought the incident upon themselves
• Decreased participation in the classroom; dropping or avoiding classes, or even changing majors
• Believing that their complaint will not be taken seriously;  mistrusting the system; doubting that their school will support them; believing that reporting will make no difference; thinking that their friends will not support them
• Feeling embarrassed
• Reluctance to “rock the boat”; not wanting to get the harasser in trouble
• Fear of the harasser or others

Do:

• Listen carefully to the student and assure her/him that you understand.
• Help the student seek advice and guidance through a counselor, the campus police, a department chair or other trusted person.
• Inform the student that formal and informal complaints can begin with the Vice President of Student Services and/or the Campus Police.  Familiarize yourself with Administrative Regulation 5401.
• Advise the Dean of your division.
• File an Incident Report with the Vice President of Student Services.
• Refer to Victims of Sexual Assault webpage: /ss/shc/sexualassault.html

Don’t:

• Ignore the situation. 
• Don’t try to deal with the situation alone. 
• Don’t confront or accuse the suspected perpetrator.