FAST FACTS:
(Memphis 4/23/09) This week, a Memphis High School teacher's assistant was arrested for fondling a 15-year- old student. At the same school and assistant principal and student are in trouble after two teens were caught on a cell phone having sex.
The crimes are alarming to parents, but one new study shows 90% of high school and middle school girls in Memphis and Shelby County are experiencing some sort of sexual harassment. The girls say most of it is at the hands of other students.
School is supposed to be a safe place for learning, but a majority of Memphis and Shelby County girls surveyed say it's a scary place when it comes to the way they are being treated by fellow students, even teachers and staff.
"7 in 10 have had sexual things said to them at school or their bodies stared at. More than 5-in 10 had offensive things said about how their body looked," said Deborah Clubb with the Memphis Area Women's Council.
For their study on sexual harrassment, The U of M's Center for Research on Women and the Memphis Area Women's Council talked to nearly 600 middle and high school students.
They included students in Memphis and Shelby County schools as well as private schools.
Of the girls surveyed 9 out of 10 said they had experienced some sort sexual harrassment.
In fact, 6% percent said they had been forced to have sex at school and said most of the harrassment is from fellow students.
"If you are trying to go to class and move thru the school building and this is constantly in your way. It's not a surprise the girls have to struggle to achieve, because this is a hostile environment," said Clubb.
Although all of the schools have written policies on sexual harrassment, the study shows the policies aren't being enforced or communicated to all students and students aren't reporting it.
"Probably the most alarming thing for me before this survey is that the girls were saying this is happening with adults watching," said Clubb.
While 8 out of 10 boys said they had also experienced some sort of sexual harrassment., the study found the treatment has a more negative effect on girls and their self image down the road.
According to the study, 3 out of 10 girls had been harassed by adults at school.
The study also revealed that more than 91% of students in Memphis area schools had been sexually harassed compared to 85.5% in private schools.
- 90% of Girls in Memphis, Shelby County Schools say they have been sexually harassed
- 6% of the girls said they had been forced to have sex in school
- The girls say most of the sexual harassment has been at the hands of fellow students
(Memphis 4/23/09) This week, a Memphis High School teacher's assistant was arrested for fondling a 15-year- old student. At the same school and assistant principal and student are in trouble after two teens were caught on a cell phone having sex.
The crimes are alarming to parents, but one new study shows 90% of high school and middle school girls in Memphis and Shelby County are experiencing some sort of sexual harassment. The girls say most of it is at the hands of other students.
School is supposed to be a safe place for learning, but a majority of Memphis and Shelby County girls surveyed say it's a scary place when it comes to the way they are being treated by fellow students, even teachers and staff.
"7 in 10 have had sexual things said to them at school or their bodies stared at. More than 5-in 10 had offensive things said about how their body looked," said Deborah Clubb with the Memphis Area Women's Council.
For their study on sexual harrassment, The U of M's Center for Research on Women and the Memphis Area Women's Council talked to nearly 600 middle and high school students.
They included students in Memphis and Shelby County schools as well as private schools.
Of the girls surveyed 9 out of 10 said they had experienced some sort sexual harrassment.
In fact, 6% percent said they had been forced to have sex at school and said most of the harrassment is from fellow students.
"If you are trying to go to class and move thru the school building and this is constantly in your way. It's not a surprise the girls have to struggle to achieve, because this is a hostile environment," said Clubb.
Although all of the schools have written policies on sexual harrassment, the study shows the policies aren't being enforced or communicated to all students and students aren't reporting it.
"Probably the most alarming thing for me before this survey is that the girls were saying this is happening with adults watching," said Clubb.
While 8 out of 10 boys said they had also experienced some sort of sexual harrassment., the study found the treatment has a more negative effect on girls and their self image down the road.
According to the study, 3 out of 10 girls had been harassed by adults at school.
The study also revealed that more than 91% of students in Memphis area schools had been sexually harassed compared to 85.5% in private schools.
