The Environment Is Still Hostile: Female Students' Perceptions of Sexual Harassment in Schools

As attention in the media and general public is caught up in explosive incidences of bullying, the more pervasive but less climactic events of sexual harassment go unaddressed. Understanding girls' experiences with sexual harassment is vital to addressing sexism as it plays out in schools, This paper details our study which examines how young women (ages 18-20) define and understand sexual harassment in contemporary school settings. Positioned within an explicitly feminist framework and following IRB protocol, we interviewed young women and asked them to reflect on their experiences with sexual harassment in school. Several findings emerged from this study that highlight the degree to which sexual harassment continues to plague the lives of young women on school campuses.