Situations to discuss sexual harassment

1. Situation #5-Instead of giving infractions for tardiness, the gym teacher in the school makes everyone do
additional exercises for punishment. Boys do push-ups in front of the girls. Girls do jumping jacks in front of
the boys. Boys don’t seem to mind, but the girls are really embarrassed.
1. Is this sexual harassment? Yes No
2. What tells you that it is or isn’t? _____________________________________________________________
3. Who is the harasser? ______________________________________________________________________
4. Who is the victim? ________________________________________________________________________
5. How do you think the girls feel? What about the boys? ___________________________________________
6. How would you suggest handling this situation? ________________________________________________
7. You are a boy in this class, what can you do or say to help this situation? You are a teacher in this school.
One of the girls tells you what’s happening. What do you do? _______________________________________
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8. If you were a girl in this situation, what would you do? ___________________________________________
Situation #6-Katie found out from a friend that someone had written gross, obscene things about her on the
walls of the bathroom stall at school. Katie didn’t want to go to school. Her grades were dropping, and she was
becoming quiet and withdrawn. She didn’t ride the bus anymore because the guys kept coming up to her and
asking “Are you as good as everyone says you are? How about a date?” When she walked by groups of kids at
school, everyone started to laugh and whisper.
1. Is this sexual harassment? Yes No
2. What tells you that it is or isn’t? _____________________________________________________________
3. Who is the harasser? ______________________________________________________________________
4. Who is the victim? ________________________________________________________________________
5. How do you think Katie feels? _______________________________________________________________
6. How would you suggest Katie handle this situation? _____________________________________________
7. You’re the principal of this school. What do you do about this situation? You are Katie’s fiend. She tells
you what’s happening. What do you say and do? __________________________________________________

2. _________________________________________________________________________________________
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8. If you were in Katie’s situation, what would you do? _____________________________________________
Situation #3-Sam and Mike are walking down the hall. They notice Sally putting her books in her lockers.
Sam tells Mike to “take a lesson”. He approaches Sally’s locker. When she turns around, he puts his arms on
either side of her shoulders, trapping her against the locker. Sally doesn’t know Sam very well. She is
surprised and uneasy about this body pressing up against herself, and runs down the hall without saying a word.
1. Is this sexual harassment? Yes No
2. What tells you that it is or isn’t? _____________________________________________________________
3. Who is the harasser? ______________________________________________________________________
4. Who is the victim? ________________________________________________________________________
5. How do you think Sally feels? _______________________________________________________________
6. How would you suggest Sally handle this situation? _____________________________________________
7. You are at your locker and you know Sally. As a bystander what could you do or say to help this situation? _
_________________________________________________________________________________________
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8. If this happens to you, what would you do? ____________________________________________________
Situation #4-Several boys always stand at the front entrance of the school. May has to go by them every
morning on her way to her locker. As she passes by, they make comments about her chest. They act like
they’re going to grab her. Sometimes they make sexual gestures with their hands and lips. Other times they
“moo.” Mary hats walking by them and gets a knot in her stomach just thinking about it.
1. Is this sexual harassment? Yes No
2. What tells you that it is or isn’t? _____________________________________________________________
3. Who is the harasser? ______________________________________________________________________
4. Who is the victim? ________________________________________________________________________
5. How do you think Mary feels? _______________________________________________________________
6. How would you suggest Mary handle this situation? _____________________________________________

3. 7. You’re one of the group of boys. You’ve gone along with the others until now, but you don’t want to any
longer. What can you say and do to help this situation? _____________________________________________
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8. If you were in Mary’s situation, what would you do? _____________________________________________

4. Situation #1-John is being picked on by a group of kids a school. They tease him all the time and call him
names. Now they are spreading rumors about his sexual orientation and calling him sexual slurs.
1. Is this sexual harassment? Yes No
2. What tells you that it is or isn’t? _____________________________________________________________
3. Who is the harasser? ______________________________________________________________________
4. Who is the victim? ________________________________________________________________________
5. How do you think John feels? _______________________________________________________________
6. How would you suggest John handle this situation? _____________________________________________
7. You’re a classmate of John’s. What do you do about this situation? ________________________________
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8. If you were in John’s situation, what would you do? _____________________________________________
Situation #2-Jim is new to your school. There are several younger girls who follow Jim around during lunch.
They make comments to him about the way he looks and tease him about what they would like to do to
someone so big and strong. You see one of the girls you know pat Jim’s behind and comment “nice butt”,
while the others make loud suggestive sounds. Jim turns red and leaves quickly.
1. Is this sexual harassment? Yes No
2. What tells you that it is or isn’t? _____________________________________________________________
3. Who is the harasser? ______________________________________________________________________
4. Who is the victim? ________________________________________________________________________
5. How do you think Jim feels? ________________________________________________________________
6. How would you suggest Jim handle this situation? _______________________________________________
7. You know some of these girls. As a bystander, how can you help this situation? _______________________

5. _________________________________________________________________________________________
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8. If this happened to you, what would you do? ___________________________________________________