Case Study #1

Case study: One of your 4th grade female students is very well developed physically and looks as if she is 15 instead of 9 years of age. Today you heard a group of 5th grade boys commenting on her body in a lewd and humiliating manner. Two other teachers also heard these comments, but blew them off as "boys will be boys" and "she needs to get used to it."


I do not believe that we should ignore sexual harassment on the grounds that "boys will be boys." No person, regardless of age, sex, or physical development, should never be required to "get used to" being sexually harassed. In our sex-saturated culture, it is not surprising that the boys would say these comments; the might be copying older siblings or symbolic models on television or in popular music. It is, however, shocking and frustrating that the two other teachers said that "she needs to get used to it." These "lewd and humiliating" comments objectify women and are the precursors to the types of thoughts that lead to more serious kinds of sexual abuse and mistreatment of women. What kind of self-confidence is the student who is being harassed going to have if even the teachers support her exploitation through sexual comments and gestures. All of the students involved deserve to learn that this type of behavior is not okay - and why it is not okay.

I would call the boys to me and as them to go to the principal's office and to tell the principal what they were saying about and to the girl involved. I would call the principal and alert him as to why and under what circumstances the students were being sent to the office. If I could not make the call in a private setting, I would reduce embarrassment by sending a specific email along with a more vague call to let the principal know the details before meeting with the students. As soon as possible, I would bring the matter up with my supervisor, and suggest that the school counselor be allowed to speak with the female student involved. As these boys are not my students, it does not fall on me to punish them, but I do feel that intervening and preventing further abuse was necessary in this situation in order to protect my student and better serve all of the students. I would tell my supervisor exactly what happened, including the part about the other teachers, in as unbiased a manner as possible, and also seek the advice of my administrator as to how I should approach the matter of contacting the parents of the student. I think that it is important that administration be aware of not only the offending students, but of the teachers who seem to think that sexual harassment is an appropriate school activity. For the sake of the students' privacy and self-esteem, as well as for legal reasons, I would not tell any other parties. Having done my duty as a teacher and reported the harassment, I would keep a close eye on the students at watch for evidence of abuse or sexual harassment. I would incorporate some character education into my social studies curriculum on societal constructions of gender, and educate students about verbal and emotional abuse, as well as what to do if you witness or are the victim of abuse.