Youth Challenge
Unit 4: Tackling Sexual Harassment in Your School
- Back to Table of Contents
- Introduction by the Sex Discrimination Commissioner
- Teaching Strategies
- Resources and Worksheets
- Watch the DVD
Introduction
Sexual harassment is a significant issue in the Australian community. Despite laws against it for the past 20 years, it continues to happen in workplaces and schools.
Each year the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission receives about 200 complaints of sexual harassment. However, our own research indicates that this figure is just the tip of the iceberg.
Sexual harassment in the workplace often includes a significant physical element, such as unwanted touching. In schools, a lot of sexual harassment is based on verbal taunts and teasing.
Addressing sexual harassment is, therefore, an important human rights issue. Each person has basic human rights, including the right to be free from harassment. If these rights are not respected then a person can feel degraded.
While everyone has the right to be free from harassment and intimidation, we also have a responsibility to ensure that we treat others in a way that we would expect to be treated. This idea of mutual respect is central to maintaining strong, healthy communities.
Unit 4: Tackling Sexual Harassment in Your School is made up of a series of structured activities that will help students to:
- understand key aspects of the law about sexual harassment
- identify behaviour that would constitute sexual harassment
- understand the reasons why some people might engage in sexual harassment
- understand the effect that sexual harassment can have on people
- develop a range of strategies to address sexual harassment
- apply their knowledge and understanding of this issue to their school community.