Very simply, sexual harassment is any unwanted and unwelcome behavior of a sexual nature that interferes with one's education or right to participate in school activities. Some examples include: sexual insults, comments about a person's body, whistling, catcalls, spreading sexual gossip or sexual graffiti, pressure for sexual activity or dates, staring or leering with sexual overtones, pinching or touching buttocks, genitals, or breasts. The act of pulling off someone's clothing or forcing sexual contact on another person goes beyond sexual harassment and is considered sexual assault.

Is the media overreacting?
No, serious incidents happen daily in schools across the country. These incidents impede students' ability to study and learn and they set a general tone of disrespect. Until recently, sexual harassment, like bullying in general, was considered typical childhood behavior: "boys will be boys," "everybody does it," "it's always been that way." While there's no need to label young children as harassers, it is important to educate children about sexual harassment and why it's harmful to all students.

Does it just happen to girls?
Both boys and girls can be victims of sexual harassment. Although girls experience sexual harassment more frequently, boys also suffer from things like being called names or having their pants pulled down in public. Boys can be harassed by girls or by other boys.

Doesn't sexual harassment start in high school?
Incidents of sexual harassment happen in elementary and middle schools, as well as high school. Sometimes, students of the same age taunt a classmate, as when a group of 5th graders teased a classmate and called her a cow because she had big breasts. Sometimes older students taunt younger ones with sexual insults. This happened in one school where 7th graders were making sexual comments to a nine-year-old girl on the bus.