Reckless Eyeballing: Sexual Harassment

Key Terms:

Sexual Harassment- harassment or unwelcome attention of a sexual nature. It includes a range of behavior from mild transgressions and annoyances to serious abuses, which can even involve forced sexual activity

In “Reckless Eyeballing: Sexual harassment on Campus”, Katie Roiphe takes the issue of Sexual Harassment and makes it be seen in a totally different way from the norm. Roiphe states that because of the wide definition of sexual harassment that occurs within our society today it takes women back a step in equality. Because anything from a glance to a sexual advancement that is unwelcome can be perceived to be sexual harassment, women are in fact giving men more power than they actually possess. In order to be a sexual being, a person must approach someone else and see if they are interested sexually. However, with all the fears about sexual harassment claims part of this titillating experience between man and woman is being forgotten.

On college campuses today, male professors are afraid to be behind closed doors with female students because this could lead to accusations of sexual harassment. Male professors are therefore left to forge bonds of friendship with only male students. This being the case, it is in fact the female student who is losing out on a potential learning experience.

With the definition of sexual harassment being so broad, Roiphe states that it is no wonder that the statistics on the cases of sexual harassment are so high. Is sexual harassment really when a man just glances at a women in a way that can make her uncomfortable. Riophe claims