Sexual Harassment of Boys in Our Schools

We all know sexual harassment is an issue for girls in grades four through twelve. Our schools are beginning to take harassment more seriously. However, we also need to realize that boys and girls report equal levels of harassment. The problem is that we are not quite as careful about the needs of our boys. Male students who appear to be less rough and tumble than the average boy tend to be victimized the most. Name-calling is the main vehicle for harassing boys, but physical violence is also increasing. School officials mistake this type of harassment for bullying and treat it accordingly. This relieves principals of the responsibility of doing a full-fledged Sexual harassment investigation thus reducing the consequences for students who harass. Considering the serious damage to self esteem caused by sexual harassment, it’s time we take care of our boys as well as our girls. Two of my novels address the issue of sexual harassment.

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