Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment involves unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature that explicitly or implicitly affect an individual’s employment or academic decisions, unreasonably interfere with an individual’s work or academic performance, or create an intimidating, hostile or offensive work or educational environment.

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College Sexual Harassment Facts

STUDENTS ARE BEING HARASSED ON THEIR COLLEGE CAMPUSES.

  • 67% of students experienced harassment on campus
  • 61% witnessed another student being harassed on college campus 
  • Only 18% of students had not experienced or witnessed harassment on campus

HARASSMENT LIMITS STUDENTS’ ABILITY TO LEARN.

  • 46% of students said harassment caused disappointment with college experience 
  • 20% said harassment caused inability to concentrate in class
  • 23% said harassment prevented attendance in class/social activities

CURRENT CAMPUS SYSTEMS AND PROCESSES FALL SHORT.

  • 55% of college administrators said that current systems to report and address harassment are not sufficient
  • Only 17% of students said that they reported harassment to a person of authority

*It is important to note that statistics may only represent reported cases and only provide a part of a larger story.

Examples of sexual harassment:

  • Actual or attempted rape or sexual assault.
  • Unwanted pressure for sexual favors.
  • Unwanted deliberate touching, leaning over, cornering, or pinching.
  • Unwanted sexual looks or gestures. 
  • Unwanted letters, telephone calls, or materials of a sexual nature.
  • Unwanted pressure for dates.
  • Unwanted sexual teasing, jokes, remarks, or questions.
  • Referring to an adult as a girl, hunk, doll, babe, or honey.
  • Whistling at someone.
  • Cat calls.
  • Sexual comments.
  • Turning work discussions to sexual topics.
  • Sexual innuendos or stories.
  • Asking about sexual fantasies, preferences, or history.
  • Personal questions about social or sexual life.
  • Sexual comments about a person’s clothing, anatomy, or looks.
  • Kissing sounds, howling, and smacking lips.
  • Telling lies or spreading rumors about a person’s personal sex life.
  • Neck massage.
  • Touching an employee’s clothing, hair, or body.
  • Giving personal gifts.
  • Hanging around a person.
  • Hugging, kissing, patting, or stroking.
  • Touching or rubbing oneself sexually around another person.
  • Standing close or brushing up against a person.
  • Looking a person up and down (elevator eyes).
  • Staring at someone.
  • Sexually suggestive signals.
  • Facial expressions, winking, throwing kisses, or licking lips.
  • Making sexual gestures with hands or through body movements.