Sexual Harassment Brochure

What can students do?
¥ Tell the harasser to stop even though doing
this may be difficult or embarrassing.
¥ Avoid being alone with the harasser.
¥ Do not blame yourself. Harassment is not
your fault.
¥ If the harassment continues, keep a record
of what happened (times, places, witnesses
and how you reacted).
¥ Save any notes or pictures from the harasser.
¥ Tell a trusted adult and keep telling until you
find someone who believes you.
¥ Find out who at your school is responsible
for dealing with complaints about sexual
harassment.
¥ Always tell an adult if you see someone else
being sexually harassed.REMEMBER
It is probably sexual
harassment if the person feels
uncomfortable or threatened
as a result of the action. It
does not matter what the
harasser intended.
For additional information
please contact your school
counselor or school social
worker.
This brochure is a resource provided by LPS
School Social Workers. . . because
Families Matter.
Revised August 2001
What can parents do?
¥ Set a good example; treat everyone with
respect.
¥ Talk to your child about sexual harassment.
¥ Be aware that sexual harassment may in-
volve different-sex or same-sex situations.
¥ Encourage children to talk openly with you.
¥ Build self-esteem by focusing on your
childÕs positive qualities.
¥ Do not encourage or ignore sexual harass-
ment.
¥ Do not confuse sexual harassment with
normal Òkid stuff.Ó It is not teasing, flirt-
ing or harmless fun!
¥ Assist your child in making contact with
school personnel.
¥ You have a right to file a legal complaint.
Sexual harassment is unwanted and
unwelcome sexual behavior that makes a
student feel uncomfortable or unsafe. It is a
continuum of unwanted behaviors ranging from
spoken or written comments and stares to actual
physical assault and attempted rape. Sexual
harassment demeans a student on the basis of
his/her sex. It is often confused with flirting.
However, sexual harassment does not feel good
to the victim. It is a form of bullying; it is about
power of one person over another. Sexual
harassment is against the law.
Sexual harassment can happen to anybody, to
both girls and boys. It may involve different-
sex or same-sex situations. Sexual harassment
is defined by the receiver. Perception of an in-
cident may differ; if one person does not feel
good about the interaction, the behavior needs
to stop. Sexual harassment can be a one-time
occurrence, or it can happen many times over
several weeks or months. No one deserves to
be sexually harassed.
What Every Parent Needs to Know
SEXUAL
HARASSMENT:
¥ Sexual Harassment often happens over and over.
¥ Sexual Harassment gets worse if itÕs not stopped.
¥ Sexual Harassment violates LPS policy.
¥ Sexual Harassment is against the law.

Sexual Harassment Hur ts Ever yone
The Receiver may:
¥ Experience a loss of self-confidence or
self-esteem
¥ Feel fear, anger, embarrassment, depres-
sion, humiliation, anxiety, shame, or help-
lessness
¥ Find it hard to pay attention or concentrate
in school
¥ Dread, or even avoid going to school or a
class in which they expect harassment
¥ Withdraw from others, or develop other
social problems
¥ Have difficulty sleeping
¥ Exhibit a change in dress or behavior
¥ Develop an inability to trust others
The Harasser may:
¥ Experience disciplinary action at school
including suspension or expulsion
¥ Suffer legal consequences that may in-
clude criminal or civil charges
¥ Be unaware that their behavior may be
seen as sexual harassment
¥ Have trouble knowing and reading how
other people feel
¥ Have difficulty knowing the difference
between flirting and sexual harassment
¥ Experience embarrassment and/or blame
¥ Experience isolation from peers
¥ Develop more serious behavioral prob-
lems without intervention
School Policy 5480
Possible grounds for short-term suspension, long-term suspension,
expulsion or mandatory reassignment.
1. Use of violence, force, coercion, threat, intimidation, or similar conduct in a manner that consti-
tutes a substantial interference with school purposes.
2. Sexually assaulting or attempting to sexually assault any student or staff member.
3. The use of language which is profane or abusive to students or staff members.
4. Dressing in a manner wherein such dress is dangerous to the studentÕs health and safety or to the
health and safety of others or is distracting or indecent to the extent that is it interferes with the
learning and the teaching process.
SEXUAL HARASSMENT
MAY BE:
VISUAL
¥ Mimicking someone in an insulting way
¥ Making suggestive body movements
¥ Making sexual or suggestive gestures or looks
(i.e., winking, licking lips)
¥ Staring at someoneÕs body or body parts
¥ Sexual drawings or pictures
PHYSICAL
¥ Touching, pinching, or grabbing body parts
¥ Pulling someoneÕs clothes or your own clothes off
¥ Giving ÒsnuggiesÓ or snapping bra straps
¥ Brushing up against someone
¥ Being forced to kiss, hug, etc. without your consent
VERBAL
¥ Sexual or dirty notes and jokes
¥ Name calling or obscene remarks
¥ Making suggestive or sexual remarks about
someoneÕs body
¥ Spreading sexual rumors or rating other students
as to sexual activity or performance
¥ Being called ÒgayÓ or ÒlesbianÓ
¥ Talking about oneÕs sexual activity in front of
others