The astonishing figure of not just the majority but 2/3rds of college students professing to have been sexually harrassed begs the question of what constitutes harrasment. On the assumption that they are not making young men and women much differently today than when I was at BU a mere 25 years ago, I would conclude that the standard for what level of behaviour constitutes harrassment has slipped incredibly. While the figure no doubt includes some instances of craven, manipulative and cruel behaviour, if it is the norm experience then it must surely include mostly bumbling, fumbling, stupid and awkward behaviour. Harrasment is a crimminal offense. I hope that our intention is not to criminalise being young and awkward. We’d most of us hang!
Paul Shapiro, UNI ’82
