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| Ima Wahyu Putri Utami, M.Pd. (Photo: Special). |
Cases of sexual harassment are increasingly rampant, not excluding those within the school environment. Ima Wahyu Putri Utami, M.Pd., a lecturer in the Elementary School Teacher Education Program at Muhammadiyah University of Malang (UMM), stated that this could happen due to several reasons. The first is the lack of awareness among school members regarding sexual harassment itself.
"Every school must be aware of this. The awareness of all school members is necessary. This can be built by providing education and campaigns about the importance of reporting sexual harassment," said the woman, who is familiarly known as Ima.
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It is important to convey to students that there is nothing wrong or shameful when someone becomes a victim. Therefore, if students experience sexual harassment, they should be informed not to feel ashamed or afraid to report it. "Students should know that there is nothing wrong or shameful about being a victim," she said.
In addition to socialization, schools must also ensure that the process of reporting sexual harassment is carried out with full confidentiality. Thus, victims can feel safe telling their stories without fear of negative perceptions or unwanted information disclosure.
"The next step is for the school to quickly and immediately respond if there is a report of sexual harassment received. This includes providing support to the victim and following up on the report by conducting an investigation. Throughout the process, it is important to maintain the privacy of all parties involved in the case," she added.
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Sexual harassment in schools includes various inappropriate behaviours, such as unwanted sexual comments, inappropriate touching, or even coercion into sexual activities. This is a serious issue that can have negative impacts on students' well-being and development. Sexual harassment can occur among students, between students and teachers, or involve third parties.
"In addition to the various steps mentioned earlier, schools must establish good communication with parents to prevent sexual harassment, including providing information on how to report incidents that occur outside the school environment. This collaboration can also include inviting experts to schools to provide training and information to students, teachers, and parents about sexual harassment prevention," Ima added.
To support the prevention of sexual harassment, parents can provide education to their children about boundaries that should not be crossed by others and steps to deal with uncomfortable situations. Open communication between parents and children is also important to ensure that children feel comfortable talking about the issues they face.
"By building trust, children will be more open to sharing their experiences or feelings. Actively involving parents can also increase awareness and protection of children from the risk of sexual harassment," she concluded. (bal/wil/fajr)
