| Permission for Student Participation When teaching sensitive subjects such as reproductive health, it is essential to follow state and district guidelines for notification of parents and to provide opportunities for community members to preview materials. Teaching about reproductive health requires teachers to be sensitive to the needs of adolescents and to feel comfortable with the subject matter. Treat the subject respectfully and model appropriate language for your students. Accurate information about the reproductive organs and their functions plays a key role in encouraging students to make healthful choices about the body processes and the questions that arise during puberty. |
Respect for Self and Others
During adolescence, young people are expected to develop more complex interpersonal skills. An ability to show respect for others and for self enables adolescents to succeed in the adult world. Everyone deserves respect as an individual and as a human being.
Respect is defined as "holding someone in high esteem or regard." Respect is shown through actions that exhibit consideration for self and others. Actions that show respect for others include:
I-messages
I-messages provide an assertive way to express thoughts and feelings while being sensitive to others. I-messages follow this formula: I (feel, need, want or believe) when (state the situation) because (tell the reason).
Self-respect
Self-respect means taking care of oneself physically, mentally and socially. Self-respect involves practicing positive health habits such as:
Personal Respect and Sexual Harassment
Respect for self and others is the foundation for healthy relationships and a healthy society. Respect is defined as "holding someone in high esteem or regard." Respect is shown through actions that exhibit consideration for self and others.
Self-respect means taking care of oneself physically, mentally and socially. Self-respect involves practicing positive health habits such as eating well, exercising regularly, honestly expressing thoughts and feelings to others, accepting individual strengths and weaknesses, spending time alone, doing enjoyable activities and spending time with friends and family.
Actions that show respect for others include:
Everyone deserves respect as an individual and as a human being. Characteristics such as race, sexual orientation, gender, age, physical appearance and level of ability should be respected; they must never be used as a basis for ridicule or discrimination.
The Continuum of Respect
When considering interactions between individuals, a diagram illustrates a continuum of respectful and disrespectful actions. Respectful actions are to the left of the continuum. Actions to the right of "pressure" constitute disrespectful and increasingly aggressive behavior. Aggressive behavior is motivated by the desire for power and control.
Sexual Harassment
Sexual harassment is coercive behavior because it involves the abuse of power for sexual ends or the creation of a hostile environment. In abuse of power, sexual harassment consists of unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors or other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature as a condition of instruction or employment (Frazier, Cochran and Olson 1995). Only a person with power over another can commit this kind of harassment.
In a hostile environment, someone acts in sexual ways that interfere with a person's performance at school or in the workplace. Sexual harassment is illegal. Both males and females can be victims of sexual harassment.
The Impact of Sexual Harassment
Peer-to-peer harassment is one of the most widespread forms of violence in schools. Among students, sexual harassment occurs most often when boys are in groups. Their motives often may be to heighten their group status by denigrating girls, rather than based on any particular animosity toward an individual. Harassment in schools has been typically ignored and dismissed as teasing or traditional "boys will be boys" behavior. Researchers have found that such actions lead to girls becoming more "subordinated and less autonomous. The behavior controls girls through intimidation, embarrassment or humiliation" (Herbert 1989).
A study of 1,632 students in grades 8-11 indicated:
Sexual Harassment vs. Flirting
This chart contrasts sexual harassment and flirting.
| Sexual Harassment makes the receiver feel
| Flirting makes the receiver feel
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| Sexual Harassment results in
| Flirting results in
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| Sexual Harassment is perceived as
| Flirting is perceived as
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| Sexual Harassment is
| Flirtingis
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Responding to Sexual Harassment
When students feel themselves to be sexually harassed, their first step is to request the harasser(s) to stop. Harassers may not be aware of the impact of their behavior. The request to stop may be made in person or in writing.
If the harassment does not stop, people who feel harassed should keep a record of the actions (time, place and names of observers). Students should report the harassment to a counselor, teacher or principal. In the workplace, the report should be made to the supervisor or manager of the person who is doing the harassing.
The following steps provide a summary of ways to deal with sexual harassment.
Teachers and other adults should be alert to the following symptoms that may indicate sexual harassment or abuse.
