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``Sexual harassment occurs in schools and when this behavior isn't corrected or confronted, it can show up in other areas such as the world of work,'' said UF counselor education Professor Robert Myrick.
A 1993 survey by the American Association of University Women Educational Foundation of 1,600 public school students in grades eight through 12 found that four out of five teenagers have experienced some form of sexual harassment at school.
Confronting Sexual Harassment: Learning Activities for Teens, a book Myrick co-authored with Russ Sabella of the University of Louisville, examines the problem of sexual harassment and provides games and activities to educate students.
For example, the game ``Tic Tac Know!'' helps promote discussion about boy-girl relationships, and ``The Spider Web'' game helps teach how sexual harassment has a direct and indirect impact on others.
``We've found that when girls are harassed they don't want to come to school, they often avoid participating in class and they hesitate to go out in the hallway,'' Myrick said. ``They become very self-conscious and, as a result, become ineffective and inefficient learners.''
Students who have been sexually harassed also may experience depression, denial, food/drug/alcohol abuse, low self-confidence, hypersexuality and tension, according to Myrick's book.
Lurel D. Ponjuan