there are many types of sexually harassing behavior, including:

• sexual teasing, jokes, remarks or gestures
• pressure for dates
• letters, phone calls, or material of a sexual nature
• sexually suggestive looks or gestures
• deliberate touching, brushes up against, leaning over, cornering, or pinching
• pressure for sexual favors
• actual or attempted rape or sexual assault
• mooning or flashing
• being the victim of sexual rumors
• having one’s clothing pulled in a sexual way
• being shown, given, or left unwanted pictures or notes
• being forced to kiss someone
• having one’s clothes pulled off or down
• being spied on while one dressed or showered at school

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some people do not believe that harassment is so common in today’s society because many victims do not report the crime. some of the reasons why victims don’t report sexual harassment include:

• they blame themselves
• they feel helpless, hopeless, and/or powerless
• they don’t know how to report the harassment
• they think that their complaint won’t be taken seriously
• they don’t trust their own perceptions of what happened — maybe they “misunderstood”
• they don’t want to “rock the boat”
• they are afraid of the harasser or others (such as the harasser’s friends or family
• they don’t trust “the system”
• they don’t think their school/workplace will support them if they report the harassment
• they don’t think their friends will support them
• they feel embarrassed
• they don’t think that reporting will make any difference; they don’t believe that anything will be done about they harassment or the harasser
• they don’t want to get the harasser into trouble
• they are prevented or blocked by sex role stereotyping
• they are prevented or blocked by victim behavior

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options for handling sexual harassment: