Sexual Harassment in Talbot County Public Schools:

2000 and 2003

Susan M. LesterTalbot County Public Schools

Statement of the Problem

Sexual harassment is pervasive in secondary schools.

Girls consider sexual harassment a problem.

Behavior happens in public places.

Students have difficulty getting help.

Purpose of the study

To determine if Talbot County’s prevention and maintenance efforts have produced the desired attitudes about sexual harassment among students in grades 8 through 11.

Sexual Harassment Prevention Program Implementation Timeline

1993-95 Drama Dept. Play Cultural Diversity and Tolerance of Individual Differences. Volunteer leaders trained from each school.

1996 Easton High School students shown video; Pay Attention. TCPS harassment policy reviewed. MSDE trained school volunteers. Management team, faculty and staff trained.

1997 Continued training of faculty and staff, media materials collected.

1998 Training for all students in grades 6 to 12. Videos, survivor testimony, pamphlets, TAP.

1999 MSDE Nondiscrimination Sexual Harassment Policy.

Easton AAUW branch conducted replication of the 1993 national survey in TCPS.

Grants obtained. 2000 Beyond Hostile Hallways published. Coordinate with other efforts, efforts to include parents, etc.

Research Questions

Question 1

Have the number, type, location and sources of sexual harassment changed from 2000 to 2003 for male and female students in grades 8 through 11 in the Talbot County Public School system?

Question 2

Are there differences between the 2000 and 2003 students in grades 8 through 11 regarding: Awareness of sexual

harassment? Fear of being

sexually harassed?

Research Questions

Question 3 Are there differences between

minority and non-minority students in Talbot County Public Schools in middle and high school students from 2000 and 2003 in: Numbers of sexual

harassment incidents identified?

Types of sexual harassment incidents experienced?

Location of sexual harassment incidents?

Question 4

Has sexual harassment had any educational, emotional, or behavioral impact on Talbot County middle and high school students and if so, has that impact changed between the year 2000 and 2003?

Methodology

Repeated measures design using survey methodology.

Survey data collected at 2 different points in time. 2000 TCPS replication of previous survey.

2003 TCPS survey replication of previous surveys with additional question.

Methodolgy

Participants696 males747 females1443 valid surveys394 minority, (28%) 1049 non- minorities (72%)

Validity IssuesSurvey saturationResearcher biasStudent maturation, exposure to media and other sources

Research Question 1

Have the number, type, location and sources of sexual harassment changed from 2000 to 2003 for male and female students in grades 8 through 11 in the Talbot County Public School System?

Type of sexual harassment incidents for males and females

Sexual comments, jokes, gestures, looks.

Touched, grabbed, or pinched in a sexual way.

Victim of sexual rumors. Called gay or lesbian.

Percent of TCPS students who reported incidents of sexual harassment

2000 2003

male malen=496-502 n=577-600

25 15

18 12

18 27

15 18

2000 2003

female femalen=513-518 n=657-664

36 29

27 24

9 20

9 16

Location of sexual harassment incidents

Percent of TCPS males and females from 2000 to 2003Who reported sexual harassment

Hall Hall Classroom Classroom

Gym/playing fieldGym/playing field

Cafeteria Cafeteria Parking lot Parking lot School transportation School transportation

SH Table 2.wpd

2003 2003

female female

n=513-518 n=657-664

71 37

65 34

31 24

44 20

26 11

30 15

2000 2003

male male

n=496-502 n=577-600

58 16

48 15

33 11

38 11

21 8

21 8

Source of sexual harassment incidents for males and females

Student

Former student

Teacher

Teacher’s aide

SH Table 3.wpd

Percent of TCPS males and Percent of TCPS males and females from 2000 to 2003 females from 2000 to 2003

who were sexually who were sexually harassedharassed

2000 2003 2000 2003

male male female female

n=268-275 n=306-312 n=325-330 n=440-444

64 19 88 41

31 10 46 23

9 6 8 6

6 5 5 2

Research Question 2

Are there differences between the 2000 and 2003 students in grades 8 through 11 regarding: Awareness of sexual

harassment? Fear of being sexually

harassed?

Awareness of Sexual Harassment

Students feel there is less sexual harassment in 2003

St. Michael’s Middle/High School students reported the highest perception that there is a lot of sexual harassment

Note: EMS includes grade 8, EHS includes grades 9-11, STMMHS includes grades 8-11

AWARENESS OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT

14 15 13 13 14 15

56 5765 62 69

56

13 8 10 10 6 91320

13 16 1120

0

20

40

60

80

100

n=207 n=405 n=174 n=178 n=633 n=792

EMS2000

EMS2003

StMMHS2000

StMMHS2003

EHS2000

EHS 2003

a lot

a little

none

not sure

Fear of being sexually harassed

Fear of Being Sexually Harassed

Percent By School

2000

3242 39

28

0

20

40

60

80

100

EMS

(n=212)

STMMS

(n=66)

EHS

(n=640)

STMHS

(n=110)

Fear of being sexually harassed

often, occassionally, rarely

Percen

t

2000

Fear of Being Sexually Harassed

Percent By School

2003

47 47 44

0

20

40

60

80

100

EMS

(n=410)

STMM/HS

(n=177)

EHS

(n=799)

Fear of being sexually

harassed often, occassionally,

Percen

t

2003

Note: EMS includes grade 8, EHS includes grades 9-11, STMMS includes grades 8-11

Research Question 3

Are there differences between 2000 and 2003 minority and non-minority students in Talbot County middle and high school in: Numbers of sexual harassment incidents

identified? Types of sexual harassment incidents

experienced? Location of sexual harassment incidents?

Numbers of students reporting sexual harassment by grade level and race

2003Based on question asking about most frequent occurrence

of sexual comments, jokes, looks, etc.

Grade (n)

8 374

9 260

10 281

11 247

(n) Minority (n)Non-Minority

25 7% 101 27%

26 10% 75 29%

17 6% 59 21%

20 8% 62 25%

Types of sexual harassment incidents for

minority and non-minority students

Sexual comments, jokes, gestures and looks.

2003

Middle school (n=31) minorities

31% (n=195) non-minorities 51%

High school (n=139) minorities

46% (n=444) non-minorities 44%

2000

(n=170) Minorities 56%(n=802) Non-minorities 62%

SH Table 5.wpd

Touched, grabbed, pinched in a sexual way.

Intentionally brushed against in a sexual way.

Victim of sexual rumors

Called gay or lesbian

Locations of sexual harassment incidents for minority and non-minority students

Hall 2000 (n=119) Minority 71% (n=593) Non-minority 64%

2003Middle School (n=44) Minority 70% (n=122) Non-minority 52%High School (n=80) Minority

54% (n=244) non-minority 55%

ClassroomOutside on school groundsCafeteriaGym or playing fieldSchool transportationLocker areaParking lotRestroom

Research Question 4

Has sexual harassment had any educational, emotional, or behavioral impact on Talbot County middle and high school students and if so, has that impact changed between the year 2000 and 2003?

Emotional Impact From 2000 to 2003:

Feeling embarrassed decreaseddecreased 18% for middle school and 11% for high school students.

Being self-conscious decreaseddecreased for middle school 12%, and decreaseddecreased for high school 7%.

2000 Middle and High School Combined

42

37

25

23

19

13

0 20 40 60 80 100

embarrassed

self-conscious

less confident

afraid/scared

less popular

more popular

MS/HS

2003 Middle and High School

24

20

16

13

15

15

31

30

22

14

13

13

0 20 40 60 80 100

embarrassed

self-conscious

less confident

afraid/scared

less popular

more popularHS

MS

Educational Impact

From 2000 to 2003

Not talking as much in class decreaseddecreased 1%1% for middle school students. It decreased decreased 5% 5% for high school for high school students.students.

Cutting class or staying home from school increased for increased for middle school bymiddle school by 3%, 3%, and 5% and 5% for high school.for high school.

Getting in trouble with school authorities decreased decreased for middle school byfor middle school by 4% 4% and by 1% and by 1% for high for high school students.school students.

0 20 40 60 80 100

not talk in class

hard to pay attention

stay home/cut school

stay away from activities

hard to study

trouble w ith school

drop a course

2000 MS/HSCombined

0 20 40 60 80 100

not talk in class

hard to pay attention

stay home/cut school

stay away from activities

hard to study

trouble with school

drop a course

2003 HS

2003 MS

Behavioral Impact

From 2000 to 2003:

Avoiding harasser increased 21% for high school students and 18% for middle school students.

Changing friends decreased 3% for middle school and 1% for high school.

Remainder decreased slightly.

2000 Behavioral Combined

0 20 40 60 80 100

Avoid harasser

change seat in class

loss of appetite

trouble sleeping

change friends

change path to /from school2000 combined

2003 Behavioral Impact

0 20 40 60 80 100

Avoid harasser

change seat in class

loss of appetite

trouble sleeping

change friends

change path to /from school 2003 HS

2003 MS

Over-all trend of sexual harassment incidents between 2000 to 2003

Sexual harassment incidents have decreased 20% for Talbot County Public Schools after prevention program was instituted.

1993 reported 81% of students experienced sexual harassment.

Percentage of Sexual Harassment Incidents

74%

54%

0

20

40

60

80

2000 2003TCPS TCPS

In the 2000 survey grade 8 students reported 69% were sexually harassed. “Same” students in 2003 now in grade 11 reported 42% were harassed.

Discussion Program emphasis from 1998 to

present Recent cases Middle school problems Future emphasis

Earlier grades Bullying- hazing Reinforce correct terminology Small group conferences to build girls

self-esteem Monthly newsletter to involve parents Visuals at school such as posters in the

halls Overcome the stigma of reporting Investigate when students frequently miss

school to see if there is a harassment problem.

Future Research

Qualitative study Perceptions of sexual harassment with round table

discussions and interviews. How to prevent bullying. The connection between being bullied and mass violence. Why are minority reports fewer than non-minority?

Study of day care children Learned assertiveness or survival skills. Aggressiveness in young children. Media influence

An injustice anywhereIs an injustice everywhere.

Martin Luther King Jr.Letters From a Birmingham Jail1963