Cracking jokes is a way to make new friends, feel comfortable in class, brighten someone’s day and get in trouble for sexual harassment.
We’ve all heard those snide remarks about how short that girl’s skirt is, or teased a friend about the sexual favors they performed to get an A. We laugh at jokes like these and usually no one is offended, but how many college students actually know what sexual harassment is?
The University of Idaho Office of Human Rights, Access and Inclusion is teaching a Sexual Harassment Prevention Training course Nov. 16. The course is tailored toward students, staff, faculty and administrators and will provide definitions of sexual harassment as well as an explanation of the UI’s sexual harassment policies and procedures.
The UI Faculty Staff Handbook defines sexual harassment of a student as unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, or other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature. The FSH also includes guidelines for reporting, investigating and resolving complaints of sexual harassment.
An AOL survey found that one in six Americans report being sexually harassed in the workplace, according to a CNN article. Two-thirds of those who said they were sexually harassed didn’t report the incidents. Perhaps the lack of knowledge about what qualifies as sexual harassment is one reason more people don’t file complaints.
Sexual harassment includes touching, sexual comments or jokes, displaying pornographic material, indecent exposure, and assault or rape. Men and women alike are victims of sexual harassment, and the harasser can be a person of the same or opposite sex.
Most importantly, sexual harassment is not decided by the harasser’s intent. It is determined by the effect of the sexual conduct on the victim.
Ending sexual harassment starts with ending a culture that finds it amusing. Stop making comments about your co-worker’s physical assets or about what you would do to your professor to pass a class.
Jokes are only funny as long as no one gets hurt — and sexual harassment hurts.
— EE