Winston-Salem, NC -- Some public and private schools in Forsyth County are confronting sexual harassment, right alongside bullying.
A report released Monday, by the American Association of University Women, said nearly half of the students in grades seven through 12 experienced sexual harassment during the last school year.
Girls reported being harassed more than boys.
Some of the people surveyed said they were sexually harassed while in school. Others said it happened online through emails, text messages or on Facebook.
Nearly a third of the victims said the harassment made them feel sick to their stomach, affected their study habits or fueled reluctance to go to school at all.
Forsyth County Schools is hitting sexual harassment from all sides.
"I don't think that children are any nastier now, or do things very much differently now than they did. I think we can all remember comments that were made when we were kids. But now, there's such a greater emphasis on making sure kids feel safe in school," said Theo Helm, Communications Director, Forsyth County Schools.
Teachers and administrators at Forsyth County Schools review the school's code of conduct with students in the beginning of the year. They also talk about sexual harassment when they teach bullying prevention, and they go over it again in health class. Helm said they teach students what actions are appropriate, which are not appropriate, how what they say and do might be interpreted, and what needs to be reported.
At Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School, the school principal said they cover sexual harassment in the classrooms and school-wide. The school is also required by the Catholic Diocese of Charlotte to have "Safe Touch" programs frequently. The principal said the school has a zero tolerance policy when it comes to sexual harassment. A student is suspended for his or her first offense and expelled for their second offense.
The Principal at Gospel Light Christian School said they don't hone in specifically on sexual harassment, but when they talk about bullying, they make sure students know about inappropriate comments and behavior. She said they know they're driving the point home because kids have reported it.
If students at Forsyth County Schools don't feel comfortable talking to a teacher or administrator about something that was said to them or done to them, they can call a sexual harassment hotline at 727-2504 Ext. 3468. They can also report it anonymously online through the Bully Patrol page. Here's where you can find the reporting form:
http://www.wsfcs.k12.nc.us/Page/40052
"No child should go to school and not feel like they're safe. And that's what we work hard every day to try to do, to create an environment that's safe, and they have adults that they can trust and go to if they don't feel safe," said Helm.
WFMY News 2