| Abstract [eng] |
In today’s world, sexual harassment has become a very topical issue. It is common not only in foreign schools, but in Lithuania as well. Sexual harassment is often described as unwanted, offensive and degrading behaviour of a sexual nature. However, it might be difficult to identify this phenomenon due to its subjective and abstract nature. What is considered to be sexual harassment to one person, might be seen as bullying, a joke or a way of expressing a particular attitude to another person. Sexual harassment may have different classifications; however, the most common ones are physical, verbal, non-verbal or online sexual harassment. Marginalised groups are particulary vulnerable to this problem. Different social groups might experience such sexual harassment differently, and marginalised groups are usually harassed by emphasising their social identity or gender. In many schools, sexual harassment has become art of its culture, with non-verbal harassment being the most prevalent. Sexual harassment in schools is common due to sexist norms, technological advances, social media and lack of comprehensive sex education. It is particulary harmful to a student’s mental health and academic performance. To avoid the consiquences of sexual harassment and ensure a safe environment for pupils, prevention of sexual harassment is essential for all schools. The empirical part of the study usent an unstructured interview approach to explore teachers’ perceptions, experiences and understanding of sexual harassment. It revealed that the phenomenon of sexual harassment can be difficult for teachers to fully understand and often cannot be distinguished from jokes or bullying. Teachers disclosed that the members of the LGBTQ+ community, students with mental disability and girls are particulary likely to face sexual harassment. Social media and adnvanced technologies are also proved to be a challenging issue when trying to prevent sexual harassment in schools. The school community can positively contribute effective sexual harassment prevention, however, it can also be a hindreance, so it is essential for the whole school community to have a common understaning in preventing sexual harassment. Teachers revelaed that in order to prevent sexual harassment, it is crucial to have a positive relationship with their students, to provide sexuality education lessons and activities, and to provide the teachers with theoretical and practical training about sexual harassment. |
