Nearly half of kids in seventh through 12th grades report being sexually harassed. Girls were more at risk of being harassed than boys with 56 percent of females reporting unwanted sexual advances. “It’s pervasive and almost a normal part of school today,” says Catherine Hill, director of research for the American Association of University Women. The definition of harassment, for the purposes of the study, included inappropriate jokes, comments, touching or sexual intimidation. Students also reported being harassed online, through texts, pictures or Facebook. In-person harassment is still more prevelant: More than half of the girls in the study reported being harassed in person compared to 36 percent online. Regardless of the mode, victims often experience more than the discomfort of being harassed. Eighty-seven percent complained of poor sleep, stomachaches and were more likely to be absent from school. (New York Times)