Avoiding Sexual Harassment

At some point in your career you'll probably be accused of sexual harassment, even if you are in no way guilty of it. It's a very serious allegation and the stigma may follow you around even if you are proven innocent. Most new teachers are not trained on this issue and think that sexual harassment means don't have sexual relations with students. But while it does include this, it also includes many more aspects that need to be considered.

There are ways for you to avoid any of these sort of accusations and you'll want to follow them in order to keep your good name intact and not have to deal with any of it. This advice is for both men and women and for students that are any age. The situations will get stickier as the students get older, but these will apply to all levels. These rules assume that you are a well-intentioned person, have nothing to hide, and want to keep it that way.

Don't touch students - Very rarely will the need to touch a student arise, and things are better if you don't. If you are one of those touchy-feely sorts you will need to put the kibosh on it right away. Most people have a bubble of safety that they don't want you to infringe upon and touching them, in any way other than a handshake is considered odd, and could be viewed as inappropriate.

Don't let students in your car - Too many problems can come from something as simple as giving a student a ride home. So no matter the story of how they just have to get home soon and no one can pick them up, you'll have to decline. Alone in the car without any witnesses means it's your word against the student's if they decide to say you did anything at all sexual to them. If the local media picks up the story, your career and reputation in general could be finished.

Keep your classroom door open. While it creates an open atmosphere for people that see that your door is open during your after hours time, it also limits the chances of someone saying you did anything inappropriate. It's a way of showing that you have nothing to hide, and it really keeps people honest while they are in your classroom.

Keep a third party handy - Team up with a teaching buddy for after-school tutoring. You don't want to be left alone in the room with one or two students regardless of whether the door is open or not. It makes the time go by faster and allows you to interact with an adult at the same time, which is always welcome after a day of teaching the kiddies.