Students and teachers share a close bond throughout the semesters, though most often it is only a bond that is made through education. Sometimes, that bond can be misread or abused, and turn into a case of sexual harassment.
The Mirriam-Webster dictionary defines sexual harassment as “uninvited or unwelcome verbal or physical behavior of a sexual nature especially by a person in authority toward a subordinate.”
According to a study by the American Association of University Women (AAUW), 62 percent of women in college have been sexually harassed on campus. Clearly, sexual harassment is not only a woman’s problem, though, as that statistic is closely followed by 61 percent of men. Even more, 66 percent of college students in general know someone who had been harassed. Sadly, the statistics also showed that only 10 percent of the victims reported any of their experiences to the university.
As explained in the department anti-harassment and non-discrimination policy of IPFW’s handbook, “It is the policy of Purdue University to maintain the campus as a place of work and study for faculty, staff, and students free from all forms of harassment and discrimination. In providing an educational and work climate that is positive and harassment free, faculty, staff, and students should be aware that harassment and discrimination in the workplace or educational environment is unacceptable conduct and will not be tolerated.”
Former IPFW student, Ashley Myers, said that she was not sure if one of her instructors was pushing the boundaries of being too close. Most of what she encountered was non-verbal and could have just been communication errors, but Myers still found herself unable to concentrate in class.
“It got to the point where I would just sleep the whole class,” Myers said, adding that it was easier to sleep than it was to put up with everything.
Similarly, AAUW stated that 16 percent of female college students who had been sexually harassed had trouble studying or paying attention in their class.
On the other hand, IPFW student Austin Gray said that he saw a good example of impartial treatment from one of his instructors. A person had suggested to the instructor of a media class that they go see a movie along with a couple of other students. Instead of just restricting those going to a couple of people from the class, the instructor promptly invited everyone to join.
Gray said that he was not able to make it to the screening, “but posting that made it a really cool class trip for all of us together and for anyone who wanted to hang out outside of the normal class time.”
So, when everything is said and done, there may not be a clear-cut difference between “close” and “too close,” but everything relies on a student’s ability to feel comfortable in their school environment. If that comfort is disrupted, it is time to contact a school official.
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