What is it? Any behavior, comment, gesture 
or contact of a sexual nature that could be 
considered  objectionable or offensive.  It is 
an act of hostility, degradation and/or wielding 
of power expressed in a sexual manner.  Over 80% 
of female students reported they had been sexually 
harassed in a school setting.

Some examples of sexual harassment that high 
school students have experienced:

 
<  Flashing -a guy whipping down his pants and 
   wiggling his penis 
<  Leering -guy swimming underwater wearing goggles 
   so that he can see the girls' bodies
<  Sexual gesturing - guy grabbing his crotch with 
   his hands and moving it up and down 
<  Graffiti -pictures of sexual body parts, pornographic 
   pictures, sexual bathroom graffiti
<  Whistling at a person
<  Obscene phone calls, e-mails
   or instant messages 
<  Grabbing, pushing, pinching
<  Being followed around
<  Propositions "do you want to go to bed"
<  Demeaning comments-names like "chick", 
   "slut" or "bitch"
<  Persistent invitations for a date
<  Being rated
<  Sexual joking 
<  Homophobic name calling.

Sexual harassment is part of the continuum of 
violence and some actions do escalate to sexual 
assault. Young men sexually harass young women 
for a variety of reasons including: to show off, 
to gain power and control, to demonstrate what 
they think is masculine behaviour, to get away 
with it. Sexual harassment is illegal. With sexual 
harassment the law is concerned with the impact of 
the behaviour, not the intent of the behaviour. 
For example, you might think the joke is funny but 
it may be offensive to others.

Being sexually harassed has negative  effects on 
the emotional and physical well-being of young 
women and men.  They can experience feelings of 
frustration, humiliation, fear, loss of self-
esteem, anger, and mistrust of the opposite sex. 
Everyone has the right to decide how to deal with 
sexual harassment. 

If someone is harassing you, you can: 

- Tell the person who is bothering you that this 
  behavior is not acceptable to you.

- Get help from a teacher, the principal, or vice 
  principal. They will help you resolve the issue 
  and if necessary, help you make a formal 
  complaint.

- No one has the right to harass you.  You don't 
  have the right to harass someone else.

Remember:

-Sexual harassment damages a person's emotional 
 and physical well being.

-A compliment makes someone feel good.  Sexual 
 harassment does not.  

-The Human Rights Code of 1981 recognizes that every 
 person has the right to be free from sexual harassment.