(Nov. 23, 2010) — A Clark student who wishes to remain anonymous had a brief yet frightening encounter last summer at the Glendale Public Library. She was waiting for a friend when a group of boys approached her from their car, slowly driving through the parking lot and yelling profane language. She felt uncomfortable, so she called her friend, whom she asked to come right away. While on the phone, she was hoping the boys would leave, but instead they parked their car. The boys started to follow her into the library, yelling, “Hey, we’re talking to you. Come back here.” Eventually, the boys gave up and walked away. Although she said the boys didn’t do anything to her, she was still scared and worried that they may kidnap and rape her. Eight out of ten students will experience a form of sexual harassment at some point in their school lives, according to Sexual Harassment Support. Students who do not fit the stereotype of the average girl or boy are often harassed. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission defines sexual harassment as any type of unwelcome sexual advance, request for sexual favors, or verbal and physical harassment of a sexual nature. Another anonymous Clark student said she feels violated and uncomfortable every time she enters a specific classroom. The victim admitted that the student sitting next to her uses inappropriate language and comments that make her feel violated. The offender admits to “harassing” her, but feels it is just a joke. The victim is too quiet and shy to admit her feelings, so she just sits and tries to ignore her neighbor. Through these two incidences with harassment, students can see that they may be harassed anywhere, not necessarily just at school. Assistant Principal Kristina Provost said Clark is a safe place and usually doesn’t have many problems with bullying or sexual harassment, but whether Clark has harassment or not also depends on the students’ feelings and interpretations of what is happening to them. Each person has a different interpretation of sexual harassment and may not immediately report it to authorities. Some may feel that it is just a joke and overlook it. According to a survey conducted by the American Association of University Women in 2002, 83 percent of girls and 79 percent of boys between grades 8-11 were sexually harassed. The survey also showed that 38 percent of the students were harassed by teachers or school administrators. Health and P.E. teacher Randy Tiffany says, “I don’t think it’s increased, but I see in this generation a lot more touching and hugging.” He said the hugging and touching is a cultural habit and depends on the students’ interpretation to decide whether it’s harassment or not. Junior Sharis Rostamian feels hugging and touching is acceptable to a certain extent. “I think there is a limit to touching and hugging your friends and if the person is invasive, then they should be told to stop,” Rostamian said. Although students may not feel the negative effects of being sexually harassed now, it may affect them in the long run. Sexual harassment may lead to physical and emotional pain, but the effects vary from person to person. Harassment can lead to trust issues and the weakening of the victim’s relationship with friends and family. According to Sexual Harassment Support, some of the health effects are depression, anxiety, stress, headaches, fatigue and eating disorders. Harassment can also lead to loss of confidence and self-esteem and a feeling of guilt and shame. Students who have been harassed by teachers may find it hard to concentrate in class and may even drop the course. Photography teacher Kelly Brinker feels sexual harassment – particularly same-sex harassment – has increased throughout the three years she has been teaching at Clark. “My first year at Clark I didn’t notice any incidents, my second year I only had one, but this year I have already encountered several of them,” Brinker said. Through different forms of media such as movies and television shows, students are now becoming more aware and better informed about bullying and harassment. Due to the several cases Brinker has encountered, she found it necessary to show all her classes the required sexual harassment video at the beginning of the year, as opposed to the end of the year. English teacher Diana McGrath feels that educating the students in this manner, along with the use of the word harassment, has helped increase awareness and decrease the amount of bullying and sexual harassment. Harassment can also lead to suicide, which was the case for four teenage boys in September. All four of the bullying-related suicides involved male students who were either out of the closet or assumed to be gay. According to Time magazine, Tyler Clementi, an 18-year-old Rutgers University student jumped from the George Washington Bridge in New York City on Sept. 22. Clementi lived a double life because for some he was openly gay, but to others he was tightly closeted. His roommate was uncomfortable with gay people, so he began spying on him and videotaping him. Eventually he posted a video of Clementi kissing a guy on the Internet, which was the last straw. Before committing suicide Tyler even posted a Facebook status saying: “jumping off gw bridge sorry.” Another student, Seth Walsh, a 13 year old student from Tehachapi, California, passed away on Sept. 28. Seth was continuously bullied ever since the fourth grade because he had confessed to family and friends that he was gay. Seth felt he couldn’t fit in and hung himself in his backyard. He was found, rushed to the hospital, and put on life support, but died nine days later. The National Center for Victims of Crimes advises the victim to not ignore the problem and confront the offender, letting him/her know that such behavior is inappropriate and offensive. If the offender continues to harass the student, he/she should get help from an adult, either a parent or a teacher. The National Center for Victims of Crimes also advises students to keep a journal documenting all the incidents. There are also many websites where one can get help and chat with trained volunteers, like the Teen Victim Project or Trevor Project.