This article I wrote was published on jGirls Magazine 11/16/19. It has been republished below.
Film Review: Sexual Harassment: Not in Our School! Video Teaches K–12 Students How to Address Sexual Harassment and Their Title IX Rights
Genre: Educational Video Release Date: 2016 Director: Esther Warkov and Joel Levin Producer: Debbie Brubaker Duration: 1 hour 17 minutes
The #MeToo movement has brought attention to the pervasiveness of sexual harassment in the workforce. But all too often we don’t address the systemic problem of sexual harassment in K–12 schools. Until now. Sexual Harassment: Not in Our School! is the groundbreaking educational video created by national nonprofit Stop Sexual Assault in Schools (SSAIS) to raise awareness about sexual harassment and Title IX rights in K–12 schools. Title IX of the U.S. Education Amendments of 1972 protects against any form of gender-based discrimination, harassment, or violence.
The video deals with gender equality in education and students’ protections under Title IX, a subject that is often misunderstood or completely unknown. Sexual Harassment: Not in Our School! is an empowering video for middle and high school students, parents, K–12 schools, and community organizations. The information it shares is highly valuable and much needed, as schools are failing to properly address this rampant problem that is perpetuated in college and the workplace.
According to a 2015 study by the National Coalition for Women and Girls in Education, nearly half of all middle and high school students report being sexually harassed. According to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey that same year, more than 10 percent of high school girls and 3 percent of boys report having been physically forced to have sexual intercourse. LGBTQ students are at greatest risk. Not addressing the problem with students only makes the problem worse. This video fills an important gap in student education.
I’ve done a lot of work in high schools to educate students on this subject. The biggest lesson I learned is that our educational approach needs to be comprehensive, uniting students, parents, schools, and communities to help take action on this devastating problem. We have to start this important conversation. This video helps do that.
The video is effective because it uses high school students along with subject experts to simulate real-life scenarios. The video opens with high school students planning for their new gender equality group. Over the course of the video, the students interview nationally recognized education, legal, and LGBTQ experts and learn from counselors, advocates, and students. These different vantage points make the video especially impactful and ensure there’s something for everyone to learn.
Viewers leave having learned about Title IX rights and some powerful yet simple ways to help make schools safe and free from sex discrimination, encouraging student advocacy, which can be a powerful catalyst for change. SSAIS also offers a FREE Action Guide and Presentation Guide to accompany the video.
You may view Sexual Harassment: Not in Our School! online for free anytime, or organize a screening at your organization by visiting the SSAIS website. And don’t miss Part 2 of the video where a teenage victim learns about her right to privacy and mandated reporting when she speaks with a victim’s advocate.
If you or someone you know is a survivor of sexual violence, please visit [jGirls’] our Resources section for links to organizations that can help.
You may view Sexual Harassment: Not in Our School! here.
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