The Discursive Framing of Sexual Harassment in a University Community

Sexual harassment in university communities is, at best, understood as the exercise of power by deviant individuals and is dealt with through sexual harassment policies, grievance procedures, reprimands and educational measures. Through a discursive analysis of one case of sexual harassment, this article illustrates how power is not merely attached to specific individuals. Rather, university communities provide the conditions under which sexual harassment is naturalised. The article illustrates how conservative and liberal discourses of academic freedom, juridical interpretations of collective agreements, and anti-feminist backlash discourses shaped knowledge in the public domain, while the voices of women students and feminist discourses on sexual harassment were either marginalised or silenced. The article supports the view that the discursive framing of sexual harassment constitutes power relations in the academy and ultimately legitimises sexual harassment. The article offers some discursive strategies for dealing with sexual harassment in university communities.     

Sexual Harassment and Bullying: Similar,but not the Same. What School Officials Need To Know

As the focus on bullying has grown, attention to incidents of and concern about sexual harassment has diminished. It is easy to understand that sexual harassment can be a form of bullying, especially when it is used to intimidate, but it is also a form of discrimination prohibited by federal and state laws. Effective implementation and enforcement of bullying and sexual harassment policies can only occur when administration and staff are knowledgeable about each policy, can differentiate between the two, and use appropriate discretion in applying the correct policy. This article discusses current legal developments concerning sexual harassment and bullying in K-12. It examines strategies for developing and implementing policies and training to help create a safe, secure educational environment that is conducive to learning.     

Politics,policies and practice: assessing the impact of sexual harassment policies in UK universities

Since sexual harassment was first named and identified as an obstacle to women's equality in the mid 1970s, concern about both its prevalence and its damaging effects has resulted in the widespread introduction of anti‐harassment policies in UK universities, as in other work and educational settings. The study reported here sought to assess the impact of these policies, in the context of criticisms of the effectiveness of universities' implementation of equal opportunities policies more generally. Its findings indicate that key differences in how policies are both conceived and implemented influence the degree of impact they have. In discussing these different approaches to tackling harassment I highlight the significance of adopting a ‘proactive’, rather than merely ‘reactive’ strategy and consider the reasons why many universities appear to be resisting doing so.     

反性骚扰立法研究——以劳动法为新视野

性骚扰已经成为一个严重的社会问题,美国、英国和我国台湾对反性骚扰的立法都有各自不同的特色,值得借鉴。美国将性骚扰定性为性别歧视,规制性骚扰以工作场所为主,范围不断扩大,并确立了雇主责任原则。我国台湾的反性骚扰立法明确界定了性骚扰的概念,特别是直接将性骚扰纳入了劳动法的调整范畴,认为工作场所性骚扰侵犯的是劳动者的工作环境权,开创了劳动立法的新篇章,并建立了完整的反性骚扰法律体系。我国应当在劳动法特别是《劳动合同法》中用工作环境权构建反性骚扰制度,以规制工作场所的性骚扰,在民法(民法典)中建立反性骚扰民事侵权制度,以之为反性骚扰的一般法。     

Reaction Is Not Enough: Decreasing Gendered Harassment in Academic Contexts in Chile,Hong Kong,and the United States

In diverse academic spaces around the world, sexual and gendered harassment is increasingly recognized as a problem. High‐profile cases continue to emerge that underscore how gendered harassment is normalized in elite research contexts. In this article, Liz Jackson and Ana Luisa Muñoz‐García analyze three recent policy cases for decreasing sexual and gendered harassment. These cases involve three levels of analysis and three cultural contexts. The first is that of the higher education community in Chile; the second is the University of Hong Kong; and the third is the Philosophy of Education Society, an international academic society based in North America. In each case we analyze how sexual and gendered harassment has been (1) conceptualized, (2) responded to, and (3) contextualized. Through their analysis of these cases, Jackson and Muñoz‐García invite readers to reflect on practical and philosophical recommendations for moving forward antiharassment policies and programs, seen broadly.     

Signing up for the status quo? Semiological analyses of sexual harassment in higher education—a Swedish example

This article explores the effects of certain discourses as they relate to sexual harassment in a Swedish higher education setting. Using a semiological perspective, the author analyzes notions of existence, range, prevention, and stability in order to demonstrate the way they aim at signifying a limited and, from a bureaucratic point of view, legitimate reality of sexual harassment. The empirical material consists partly of material drawn from public policies, legal documents, and research reports on sexual harassment in higher education, and partly of fourteen semi‐structured interviews with equal opportunity practitioners responsible for implementing equality legislation at a Swedish university. A semiological view on the construction of sexual harassment in public texts and ordinary speech is given through an analysis of the use of language and the internal and external relations of signs. By focusing simultaneously on the stable and variable aspects of the sign, interpretations of the specific notions of limitation, variability, and experience are put forward as critical tools aimed at changing normative views of sexual harassment.     

Gendered harassment in secondary schools: understanding teachers’ (non) interventions

This article provides an analysis of teachers’ perceptions of and responses to gendered harassment in Canadian secondary schools based on in‐depth interviews with six teachers in one urban school district. Gendered harassment includes any behaviour that polices and reinforces traditional heterosexual gender norms such as (hetero)sexual harassment, homophobic harassment, and harassment for gender non‐conformity. This study shows that educators experience a combination of external and internal influences that act as either barriers or motivators for intervention. Some of the external barriers include: lack of institutional support from administrators; lack of formal education on the issue; inconsistent response from colleagues; fear of parent backlash; and negative community response. By gaining a better understanding of the complex factors that shape how teachers view and respond to gendered harassment, we can work towards more effective solutions to reduce these behaviours in schools.     

Youth at work: Adolescent employment and sexual harassment

ObjectiveAn examination of the frequency and impact of workplace sexual harassment on work, health, and school outcomes on high school girls is presented in two parts. The first compares the frequency of harassment in this sample (52%) to published research on adult women that used the same measure of sexual harassment. The second part compares outcomes for girls who experienced harassment versus those who did not.MethodsStudents in a small, suburban high school for girls completed a paper and pencil survey during class. A modified version of the Sexual Experiences Questionnaire (SEQ: Fitzgerald et al., 1988) was used to identify sexually harassed working teenagers. Work attitudes, assessments of physical health and mental health, and school-related outcomes were measured using standardized scales. Data were analyzed using difference of proportions tests, t-tests, and regression.ResultsThe percentage of harassed girls was significantly higher than the figures reported in most studies of working women. Girls who were sexually harassed were less satisfied with their jobs and supervisors, had higher levels of academic withdrawal, and were more apt to miss school than their non-harassed peers.ConclusionsSexual harassment significantly impacts employed high school girls’ connections to work and school. It not only taints their attitudes toward work but it also threatens to undermine their commitment to school. Educators, practitioners and community leaders should be aware of the negative impact this work experience may have on adolescents and explore these issues carefully with students who are employed outside of school.Practice implicationsTeenage students, stressed by sexual harassment experienced at work may find their career development or career potential impeded or threatened due to school absence and poor academic performance. In addition, the physical safety of working students may be at risk, creating a need for teenagers to receive training to deal with sexual assault and other types of workplace violence. Educators, practitioners, and community leaders should be aware of the negative impact this work experience may have on adolescents and their overall school experience and explore the issue of sexual harassment carefully with students who are employed outside of school.     

It happens all the time,you just don't take any notice

This article discusses research undertaken with a group of ten adolescent school girls about their understandings and perceptions of sexual harassment. The research took place 2 years after the Department of Education, Queensland, had developed and disseminated its Sexual Harassment Policy and Grievance Procedures (1994). In a series of interviews, the research participants revealed their understandings of sexual harassment and the factors they considered when making the decision to report sexual harassment and/or to utilize existing grievance procedures. The research indicates that the elimination of sexual harassment must take into account the complexities and ambiguities at work in the school lives of adolescent girls. At present it would appear that schools are driven by the legal imperative to implement policy, and have yet to focus on the educative responsibility attending the policy. Schools’ educative responsibility for the effective implementation of sexual harassment policy requires that students have opportunities to examine in the formal curriculum a range of discourses that expose the contradictory ways in which gender, power, sexuality and desire are constructed in education and schooling. The findings of this research therefore have significant implications for school communities, curriculum developers and policy makers     

The effects of personal and situational factors on university administrators' responses to sexual harassment

The present study was designed to assess how managerial personnel respond to various sexual harassment scenarios. Much of the sexual harassment research has utilized samples other than managerial personnel. Therefore, this study attempts to determine whether the findings in the literature generalize to a managerial sample. University administrators' responses to sexual harassment scenarios were assessed, with type of harassment (economic injury, hostile environment, or no harassment) and offender's status (supervisor or co-worker) being varied. Analyses revealed a lack of predicted sex differences in perceptions and definitions of sexual harassment and unanticipated sex differences in complaint handling and belief in sexual harassment myths. There were no offender status effects. The significant type of harassment effects was present for complaint handling, familiarity, and situation perceptions. In all cases, the respondents who received the “no harassment” scenario differed in their responses from the participants who had received one of the two harassment scenarios.     

Unwilling brides: ‘phallic attack’ as a barrier to gender balance in higher education in Nigeria

Gender balance in access to quality education is a crucial item on the agenda of the Millennium Development Goals. But this ideal appears beset by a number of barriers, especially at higher education level. This study investigated the problem of sexual harassment in the Nigerian university system as a barrier to the educational advancement of women. Specifically, the research focused on the practice of coercing female students to engage in sexual relations with male lecturers (‘phallic attack’) as a condition for scoring good grades. The research drew its sample from female students selected from 14 faculties in two Nigerian universities. The study finds that there is a relatively high prevalence of sexual harassment in these universities and this affects female students adversely. The ripple effect is that women are not given a learning atmosphere conducive to enjoying academic freedom and optimizing their potential in educational development. This contributes to widening the gaps between men and women in Nigeria. The study also finds that lack of adequate high‐quality sex education in Nigeria increases the vulnerability of younger female students to sexual harassment. It recommends the establishment of an advocacy programme as well as enlightenment campaigns to educate students, staff, authorities and parents about sexuality and sexual harassment; strengthening the penal system in the universities with powers and resources to fight the menace; and the formation of a network by women staff in various universities to work with potential and actual victims in order to expose the culprits, obtain justice and curb the trend.     

Walking through Walls: the sexual harassment of high school girls

For most females, crude language and other forms of sexually harassing behaviour are part of the fabric of our daily lives. To date, however, our focus on sexual harassment has been limited primarily to the experiences of adult women in academic and work place settings. What has not been explored is the prevalence of sexual harassment in schools and the way it interferes with young women's education. Equal opportunity programmes are of limited use if, for example, we urge female students into traditional male courses but we neglect to consider the hostile climate they encounter there. In this study I explored young women's experiences of sexual harassment in the setting lauded as their gateway to opportunity: school. Based on their testimonies I make recommendations for educators who are committed to making high school a more equitable place for female students.     

校园安全与校园性骚扰 ——一项基于北京高校的调查研究

本研究基于对12所北京高校4381名学生的问卷调查数据,采用交叉分析和多值逻辑回归的方法探究校园安全与校园性骚扰之间的关系。研究发现,学生对夜晚学校不同场所安全状况的感知低于白天,在控制相关变量的情况下,学生对夜晚校园安全状况的感知与遭受性骚扰的频率之间具有显著的负向关系。同时,居住在校内的学生较之居住在校外的学生更不容易成为性骚扰行为的受害者,这说明高校的安全保卫对预防校园性骚扰有着积极的作用。此外,男生相对于女生更容易成为性骚扰行为的频繁受害者。基于这些研究发现,本文从学校和学生两个方面提出了建设平安校园和性别平等校园的建议。     

Sexual harassment among adolescents of different sexual orientations and gender identities

This article examines (a) variation in rates of sexual harassment across mode (e.g., in-person, online) and type of harassment, (b) the impact of sexual harassment (i.e., distressing vs. non-distressing), and (c) how sexual harassment is similarly and differently experienced across sexual orientation and gender identity groups. Data were collected as part of the Teen Health and Technology online survey of 5,907 13 to 18 year-old Internet users in the United States. Past year sexual harassment was reported by 23–72% of youth, depending upon sexual orientation, with the highest rates reported by lesbian/queer girls (72%), bisexual girls (66%), and gay/queer boys (66%). When examined by gender identity, transgender youth reported the highest rates of sexual harassment – 81%. Overall, the most common modes for sexual harassment were in-person followed by online. Distress in the form of interference with school, family, and/or friends; creating a hostile environment; or being very/extremely upset was reported by about half of the sexually harassed bisexual girls and lesbian/queer girls, 65% of the gender non-conforming/other gender youth, and 63% of the transgender youth. Youth with high social support and self-esteem were less likely to report sexual harassment. Findings point to the great importance of sexual harassment prevention for all adolescents, with particular emphasis on the unique needs and experiences of youth of different sexual orientations and gender identities. Socio-emotional programs that emphasize self-esteem building could be particularly beneficial for reducing the likelihood of victimization and lessen the impact when it occurs.     

论职场女性反性骚扰的法律保护

性骚扰现象在我国社会生活中呈现出日趋增长之势,对女性人格尊严与合法权益造成的侵害越来越引起各界人士的关注。然而,由于我国没有关于性骚扰问题的法律规定,甚至在法律上出现“盲点”,给防范、惩治性骚扰行为造成了很大困难和障碍。本文就有关职场女性应对性骚扰的法律保护问题展开论述。     

An Occupational Hazard Warning: academic life can seriously damage your health. An investigation of sexual harassment of women academics in a UK university

The pervasiveness of sexual harassment in US academic institutions is widely documented. However, little is known, and little has been written about the extent of sexual harassment in UK universities. The study reported here investigates this issue through a qualitative survey of women academics in a UK university using intensive interviews. It analyses these women's perceptions and experiences of sexual harassment, from both colleagues and students. The findings are conceptualised using a recent comprehensive categorisation of types of harassment by Gruber (1992). It raises important questions about the possible under‐reporting and underestimation of the incidence of sexual harassment and its effect on professional women.     

The Role of Learning Tasks on Attitude Change Using Cognitive Flexibility Hypertext Systems

In this study, the authors examined the impact of task assignment on the effectiveness of a Web-based experiential exercise based on cognitive flexibility theory to enlighten learner attitudes toward the ill-structured topic of sexual harassment. In the research study, we sought to shed light on the use of a cognitive flexibility approach when measuring attitude changes. Specifically, in this study, we examined whether a learning task assigned to the learner impacts his or her attitude toward the emotionally charged and complex topic of sexual harassment. Results suggest a task need to be carefully constructed so that learners may adapt their attitudes toward sexual harassment.     

Reinforcing hegemonic masculinities through sexual harassment: issues of identity,power and popularity in secondary schools

This paper, based on the perspectives of young men, explores the relationship between dominant constructions of masculinities and the sexual harassment of young women in Australian secondary schools, within a feminist poststructuralist theoretical framework. Of particular importance in this process are the ways in which sexual harassment is integral to the construction of hegemonic heterosexual masculine identities; the importance of popularity, acceptance and young men's fears within male peer group cultures; and the utilization of sexual harassment as a means through which to maintain and regulate hierarchical power relationships, not just in relation to gender, but how it intersects with other sites of power such as ‘race’ and class. It is highlighted that sexual harassment is considered a legitimate and expected means through which to express and reconfirm the public and private positions of ‘hegemonic masculinity’ within a heterosexualized, racialized and classed gender order.     

Sexual harassment victimization in adolescence: Associations with family background

Sexual harassment has been studies as a mechanism reproducing inequality between sexes, as gender based discrimination, and more recently, as a public health problem. The role of family-related factors for subjection to sexual harassment in adolescent has been little studied. Our aim was to study the role of socio-demographic family factors and parental involvement in adolescent's persona life for experiences of sexual harassment among 14–18-year-old population girls and boys. An anonymous cross-sectional classroom survey was carried out in comprehensive and secondary schools in Finland. 90 953 boys and 91 746 girls aged 14–18 participated. Sexual harassment was elicited with five questions. Family structure, parental education, parental unemployment and parental involvement as perceived by the adolescent were elicited. The data were analyzed using cross-tabulations with chi-square statistics and logistic regressions. All types of sexual harassment experiences elicited were more common among girls than among boys. Parental unemployment, not living with both parents and low parental education were associated with higher likelihood of reporting experiences of sexual harassment, and parental involvement in the adolescent's personal life was associated with less reported sexual harassment. Parental involvement in an adolescent's life may be protective of perceived sexual harassment. Adolescents from socio-economically disadvantaged families are more vulnerable to sexual harassment than their more advantaged peers.     

Race,class, and emerging sexuality: teacher perceptions and sexual harassment in schools

Sexual harassment is a highly troubling gendered phenomenon that plagues young women on a daily basis. The way in which sexual harassment is perceived and treated is varied and is largely based on racial and class stereotypes. This paper highlights the findings from a study in which a group of middle and high school teachers were interviewed and their perceptions of sexual harassment on their campuses were discussed. What was revealed throughout this study was the way in which many teachers’ notions of sexuality are conceptualised through their notions of class and race. This paper addresses how such racial and class stereotypes veil the sexual victimisation of many young women.