Sexual harassment (typically of a woman) in a workplace, or other professional or social situation, involving the making of unwanted sexual advances or obscene remarks.

This the definition of this concept and you know someone who this has happened too. Everyone knows the statistic. Every one in four women have been sexually harassed or assaulted. These women we are speaking of are your children, wives, significant others, or just random women you see every day. One in every four.

This is the reality they live in. I remember when my little sister was growing up in middle school she would get comments. Cat calling, unwanted sexual remarks at school, people throwing food down her shirt. Eyes always roaming and lingering to long and often from much older men. Sometimes even men she trusted and looked to for guidance and protection.

Harvey Weinstein was accused of multiple offenses towards women who he worked with. But men like him are common unfortunately and they often get away with it for years.

Because our society demonizes women instead of caring for them and teaches men that sex and it’s relation to women should only be viewed in an unhealthy way. The Stanford case last year was one of the biggest stories of that year in which a male student raped a female student and was given a very very lax sentencing. For rape.

Now when we analyze why these things happen and so incredibly frequently and we as a society always look to the woman.

In fact the victim of the Stanford case wrote an incredibly powerful lettering summing up her experience.

This just goes to show the emphasis to often is on women not doing enough and never men not doing the offense. A recent study by National Sexual Violence Resource Center earlier this year showed that many men still don’t understand that assault isn’t just rape. “Despite high awareness for most categories, adults are less likely to view voyeurism and verbal harassment as assault (64% say “watching someone in a private act without their knowledge or permission” is assault, while 54% say “unwanted verbal remarks that are provocative or unsolicited” is assault).

Awareness of verbal harassment is particularly low among men and younger adults; less than half view it as assault (48% of men and 46% of 18-34-year-olds). These gender and age-group differences emerge across all types of sexual assault. Within each category, 18-34-year-olds are less likely than older adults, and men are less likely than women, to view an action as sexual assault. The gap in awareness between men and women is largest for voyeurism, sexual coercion and verbal harassment:

•    56% of men vs. 72% of women say “watching someone in a private act without their knowledge or permission” is assault;
•    67% of men vs. 79% of women say “sexual intercourse where one of the partners is pressured to give their consent” is assault;
•    And 48% of men vs. 60% of women say “unwanted verbal remarks that are provocative or unsolicited” is assault.”

Sexual harassment and assault happens in my opinion to a poor education in sex and what is and is not appropriate as well as not caring enough to respect your fellow humans.

Be clear and communicative and honest so you don’t misread a situation. But it’s also important to teach the next generation and the current generation that women are people and not objects. They don’t exist to satisfy your own sexual needs.

We as men need to hold other men accountable and teach when we can. To stem this tide of suffering for both men and women.