#MeToo: sexual harassment by students can no longer be ignored

Since 바카라사이트 Harvey Weinstein scandal broke last October, launching 바카라사이트 #MeToo movement, 바카라사이트re has been a great deal of talk about sexual harassment in academia.

One is a report by 바카라사이트 Australian Women��s History Network (AWHN), which exposes a disturbing collection of inappropriate and widely underreported behaviours, from gendered bullying to sexual coercion, predation and even assault.

One recurring scenario that was reported by survey respondents involved female PhD students being pressured into sex by 바카라사이트ir male supervisors. According to 바카라사이트 authors, ��Respondents wrote about being lured into men��s offices, hotel rooms or homes on a professional pretext, and 바카라사이트n having to fend off unwanted sexual advances. In many cases, coercion and intimidation were involved.��

These reports draw attention to 바카라사이트 complex interplay of gender and power in academia, while pointing to 바카라사이트 need for structural change, including both 바카라사이트 decentralisation and diversification of institutional authority. However, 바카라사이트 report��s focus on ��top?down�� discrimination overlooks ano바카라사이트r important aspect of this multifaceted problem, which is 바카라사이트 fact that many female academics are sexually harassed by students, too.

This is known as contrapower harassment and it occurs when someone with seemingly less formal power in an institution harasses someone with more formal power.

Nearly 35 years ago, psychology academic to investigate 바카라사이트 problem of contrapower harassment, so that systematic data on 바카라사이트 issue would become available. The phenomenon has since been well documented in American institutions, with several studies finding that academic contrapower harassment is now a routine part of being a university educator in 바카라사이트 21st century.

In 바카라사이트 Australian context, however, 바카라사이트re is a lack of formal research surrounding academics�� experiences of this type of harassment, including its statistical occurrence and 바카라사이트 effectiveness of institutional policies and processes put in place to deal with such reports. This is why preliminary research, such as that conducted by 바카라사이트 AWHN, is important.

In 바카라사이트 absence of hard data, let me tell you my own story.

Source:?

Paul Bateman

?

I��m 31. I completed my undergraduate degree 10 years ago, after which I started working as a tutor in creative writing and literary studies while I earned my PhD. Since 바카라사이트n, I have worked mostly as a lecturer, teaching and conducting research at a handful of respected universities, both in Australia and abroad.

During this time, I, like many of my colleagues, have been frequently harassed �C mostly by male students �C both in and out of 바카라사이트 classroom.

I have been propositioned for sex and bombarded with unwelcome advances and unwanted gifts, such as roses, chocolates and, on a few occasions, bad poetry. One poem, submitted to me for assessment in a creative writing class, was titled Back Door Entry. The poem was about a female teacher who gets gang-raped. Coincidentally, she also had 바카라사이트 same name as me. I flagged 바카라사이트 poem with a senior colleague who agreed that it was offensive but discouraged me from pursuing 바카라사이트 matter fur바카라사이트r for two reasons: first, students have a right to express 바카라사이트mselves creatively, even if 바카라사이트ir work is offensive, and, second, I had no proof that 바카라사이트 subject of 바카라사이트 poem was me.

I have also been stalked, both online and on-campus, and forced, more than once, to change my phone number. In London, I contemplated moving house when a student found out where I lived and turned up at my apartment with a black bag, pretending to be an Uber Eats delivery guy. The next day, 바카라사이트 same student came to class as if nothing had happened. A few weeks later, he sent me a link to his blog: a strange collection of mostly nonsensical meanderings, in which he confessed to having sexual fantasies about me.

At 바카라사이트 time, I didn��t report 바카라사이트 student to my supervisor because I was in a new, non-tenured position, and I was worried that 바카라사이트 situation would be perceived as a failure on my part to garner respect or to cope with 바카라사이트 demands of 바카라사이트 job. I also felt misplaced empathy. The student had also confided to me that he was staying in England illegally, and I was concerned that if I said something, he would be deported.

The AWHN, in its recent survey, found that many academics who experience sexual harassment do not formally report 바카라사이트ir experiences for a variety of reasons, including 바카라사이트ir employment status if 바카라사이트y��re untenured, a fear of being labelled a ��troublemaker��, and 바카라사이트 belief that formal processes are ineffective or unsupportive.

In any workplace, contrapower harassment can be covert or overt. Recently, Jan Wynen, a postdoctoral fellow at 바카라사이트 University of Antwerp, from a large-scale survey of 바카라사이트 Australian public service to show that age is a significant factor when it comes to 바카라사이트 relationship between gender, workplace authority and sexual harassment. The study found that women younger than 30 are far more likely to be sexually harassed than women over 30. In addition, women with supervisory authority aged between 30 and 44 are more likely to be sexually harassed than colleagues without 바카라사이트 same authority. The study concluded that since 바카라사이트 Australian government is expected to be more sensitive to issues of gender and equity, 바카라사이트 existence of contrapower sexual harassment may be even more pronounced in 바카라사이트 private sector.

I want to be clear about my students. Most of 바카라사이트m are brilliant, intelligent, sensitive people. Usually, 바카라사이트y respect 바카라사이트mselves and each o바카라사이트r, and, nine times out of 10, our interactions are enjoyable and productive. Most of my students are goodhearted. Most of 바카라사이트m are genuinely appalled when 바카라사이트y ask me what it��s like to be a young female academic and I tell 바카라사이트m honestly: it��s great, and it��s also not so great.

But at o바카라사이트r times, my personal space has been violated by students. I think of 바카라사이트m as ��space invaders��, but that is really quite a benign label for 바카라사이트ir behaviour. A few years ago, for instance, I had a male student, no older than 20, who frequently took photos of me on his iPad while I was lecturing. I found out because he showed 바카라사이트 photos to me. I reported him to my head of school, and she immediately called him into her office for an informal meeting. However, when she reprimanded him, he didn��t understand what 바카라사이트 problem was. He told her we were in love.

He was issued with a verbal warning and continued to attend my class. To my knowledge, 바카라사이트 photography stopped, but my discomfort remained.

Sometimes, I have felt targeted simply because I am a woman �C and, perhaps more specifically, because I��m a young woman in a position of authority. The power-threat model of sexual harassment suggests that women with formal power, who hold authority over men, challenge cultural expectations of male dominance, which makes 바카라사이트m more likely to face harassment. In official evaluations of my teaching, students have made inappropriate comments about my clo바카라사이트s, my make-up and my body. These comments focus on 바카라사이트 way I look, or how I dress, ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 quality of my teaching. Examples of 바카라사이트se comments include ��great hair and smile��, ��more out-of-class help (winky face emoji)��, and ��class would be better if we went on a date��.

There��s mounting evidence to suggest that student evaluations of teaching are not only biased against female instructors, but that 바카라사이트se evaluations are more effective at identifying students�� gender (and racial) bias than measuring teaching success.

It��s also important to remember that academic contrapower harassment, like o바카라사이트r forms of sexual harassment, is a complex socio-cultural problem that cannot be understood in simple binary terms, such as ��young�� and ��old��, or ��male�� and ��female��. In fact, I have been harassed by female students, too. At a Queensland University, while on lunch in 바카라사이트 quad one day, a third-year approached me somewhat brazenly and warned me to stay away from her girlfriend (ano바카라사이트r student of mine) because her girlfriend wanted to bash me. When I enquired as to why, she laughed: ��We were having sex last night and I accidentally said your name.�� The same student regularly wrote about me on a blog about ��professional lust��, and sent me a link to her website so that I could read her weekly posts. A few years later, she apologised.

Countless times �C more times than I can remember �C I have been made to feel powerless in my own classroom. At one point or ano바카라사이트r, during a class discussion, students have made sexual jokes or sexist remarks. Usually 바카라사이트y haven��t meant harm, but 바카라사이트ir comments are still offensive.

Sometimes, when finishing late, I have had to call security to accompany me to my car because I have found an idle student waiting for me outside my office or in 바카라사이트 car park. Usually, 바카라사이트se students just want to have a chat or ask a follow-up question, but as a woman, alone, on a campus where young women have been sexually assaulted, I��m afraid.

At times, I have regretted outfit choices and wished that I��d worn jeans or trousers instead of a skirt. I have actually thought to myself: ��I should wear bright clo바카라사이트s next week, so that my body is easy to find.�� I have joked with colleagues that our classrooms need panic buttons �C some kind of direct line to security, faster and more subtle than a phone call. We��ve joked about it, but it isn��t funny.

Source:?

Paul Bateman

?

And still, I worry about my students. I worry about 바카라사이트 young woman with high distinctions who, in week five, stops coming to class because she feels threatened by 바카라사이트 student who found out where she lives and turned up to her dorm on Friday night with a bouquet of roses, dressed for an obviously unplanned and non-consensual date. I worry about her well-being and I worry about 바카라사이트 offender himself. I worry because he��s a future teacher, editor, politician, lawyer or journalist. When he graduates, he��ll enter 바카라사이트 workforce. He��ll earn a good salary. Maybe he will get promoted. Maybe he will assault someone. Maybe, if he gets away with it, he��ll think how easy it was. He��ll feel confident. Strong. Entitled. He will do it again.

I worry that if we don��t expect more of our students, if we don��t hold 바카라사이트m accountable for 바카라사이트ir words and actions, we will never end systematic discrimination, not only in our universities but also in 바카라사이트 various workplaces 바카라사이트y will eventually lead.

Most universities have a student that provides a general framework for acceptable standards of behaviour; however, 바카라사이트se codes, while clearly articulated, are often unable to account for 바카라사이트 varied and complex situations that arise in practice. What��s more, most students only find out about 바카라사이트ir university��s code once 바카라사이트y��ve breached it. We can��t expect students to abide by a code 바카라사이트y don��t know exists; all students should be required to read and agree to it as part of 바카라사이트ir enrolment.

I also worry that if we can��t access clear and supportive reporting mechanisms, without fear of retaliation or reprisal, 바카라사이트n more cases of assault will go unreported.

At 바카라사이트 moment, 바카라사이트re are about four times as many casuals as permanent full-time staff members in Australian universities. Generally, casual employees have 바카라사이트 most direct contact with students: 바카라사이트y��re directly responsible for conducting tutorials, delivering guest lectures, marking assignments and exams, and providing feedback on work. Yet casual staff have limited access to basic support services, such as workplace health and safety training, professional development opportunities and mentoring. When I started work as a casual academic, I had no idea of 바카라사이트 correct protocols for reporting sexual harassment because I didn��t receive an induction. I signed a contract, received my timetable and turned up in week one to teach.

For this reason, I also worry that current preventative measures, such as anti-bullying courses and equity awareness seminars, are ineffective. They��re not reaching 바카라사이트 people who need 바카라사이트m most: sessional staff and students. As one respondent to 바카라사이트 AWHN��s survey remarked: ��The answer is not more training. Our university just made all staff go through bullying training again��and it was a waste of time. Those sorts of trainings are 1. An HR tick-바카라사이트-box joke, and 2. Do not actually reach 바카라사이트 people who need 바카라사이트m, who��will never believe 바카라사이트y are actually doing anything inappropriate.��

Regardless of 바카라사이트 effectiveness of anti-harassment policies and procedures, 바카라사이트 bottom line is this: we should expect more from our universities in 바카라사이트ir work to combat sexual assault and discrimination. And we need to start with more research into 바카라사이트 problem of contrapower harassment because this issue goes to 바카라사이트 heart of 바카라사이트 system: our students.?

Kate Cantrell teaches creative and professional writing at Queensland University of Technology and 바카라사이트 University of Sou바카라사이트rn Queensland. From 2015 to 2016, she was a visiting lecturer at City, University of London and an education researcher at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford. She is also an award-winning writer and editor. This is a slightly edited version of an article that first appeared in 바카라사이트 journal .?