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Sexual harassment in education

On Behalf of | Jul 19, 2018 | Sexual Harassment

Educators shouldn’t have to worry about things other than being the best teacher they can be. Unfortunately, teachers sometimes are exposed to improper conduct in the workplace. Such conduct can take many forms, including sexual harassment.

It appears that sexual harassment may be less common in education than in other workplaces. In a recent survey, 91 percent of educators who came into teaching from other fields said that such behavior was more common in those fields than in education.

However, this does not mean sexual harassment is not a problem in education workplaces. In the recent survey, around one in four female educators said they had been subjected to workplace sexual abuse or harassment. Meanwhile, when it comes to male educators, 6 percent said they were the victim of such abuse or harassment.

When sexual harassment occurs, reporting it can be very important. However, it appears that it may be rather common for harassment of teachers to go unreported. Survey data points to nearly six out of every 10 educators who experience or witness workplace sexual abuse or harassment not reporting it.

Things that could leave an educator afraid to report such conduct include worries about their career or safety being under threat.

Experiencing sexual harassment in the workplace might leave a teacher feeling like they have nowhere to turn and no way to fight the harm being done to them. However, educators have rights against such harassment. And they don’t have to fight for these rights alone. Teachers or other workers who have been sexually harassed can go to skilled employment law attorneys for guidance on their legal options and help with pursuing such options.