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VIOLENCE AND GIRLSSEXUAL HARASSMENTStudents can be targets of sexual harassment ranging from sexual rumors being spread about them to being touched, grabbed, or pinched in a sexual way. Nationally 11% of students report they have been forced to do something sexual other than kissing – at school.This does not have to happen. You have rights.Sexual harassment is unwelcome sexual overtures which create what the law calls a hostile environment. No one – not other students, teachers, coaches – no one has the right to do these things to you.Examples: dirty jokes, sexual name calling, comments about a person's physical/sexual development, requests for sex, nude pictures, touching, grabbing, pinching, graffiti, repeated requests for a date or generalizations about members of one sex or different expectations based on gender. If this happens: Ask for help. Report to a teacher, counselor or principal at school or to your employer if it happens at work. If it doesn’t stop, file a complaint – with your school district, state agency dealing with education discrimination or the U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights. If it's a work situation, report to the state Department of Labor. SEXUAL VIOLENCEThe law has a special category for rape of young women. Statutory rape is sexual penetration of a victim by someone when the victim is at least 13 but less than 18 and the defendant is at least four years older than the victim.Tennessee law requires any adult who knows about child sexual abuse (sexual activity with young children) to be reported. It is mandatory. For children 13 and older, the law does not require reporting of statutory rape; it encourages a physician or other person who is treating a pregnant teenager to notify authorities, but only if the parent or guardian agrees. Yet – 79% of female victims of statutory rape were ages 13 to 15 82 % of rapists in those cases were 18 or older Most teen victims were raped by persons 13-21 years of age. Almost half (48.2%) of teen rapes occurred with no force; about 17% were pushed or grabbed. The highest number of teen sexual assaults happened in the girl's home; the next highest number happened in the rapist’s home. |
