Do you know you are being sexually abused?

Apuurva Sridharan, TNN

The Stanley Suresh case is just another one in the long string of instances, where teachers have sexually harassed students, throwing light on the need for female students to speak up.

Lifelong friends, yummy canteen food, secret hangout spots and bunking classes — there are some experiences that are synonymous with college. And sexual abuse is definitely not one of them! So when professor E Suresh Babu alias Stanley Suresh, HoD of the painting department at Jawaharlal Nehru Fine Arts University, was accused of sexually harassing female students, the illusion that the campus is a safe haven where no bad things happen, was shattered. This instance has in turn, shaken everyone from students to lecturers into breaking the silence on the fact that sexual harassment is in fact, a common feature on campuses in the city. But sadly, most students don't even know they are being sexually abused because they don't realise that sexual harassment doesn't always mean physical abuse — it can also be verbal, through gestures or veiled references to the students' bodies. And these 'small instances' don't even come to the fore till they snowball into something more ugly like it happened in the JNFAU case. This however, was not an isolated case. Not too long ago, the principal of Shantiniketan High School in Jeedimetla, was accused of sexually abusing his girl students. In yet another instance in the city, a school teacher was booked for raping a minor student. The saga never ends — the latest case to make headline was that of a 43-year-old secretary of a private school in Tamil Nadu kissing several girl students of Class X as 'punishment' for coming late to special classes.

So, even before things take this ugly a turn, how do you realise you are being sexually abused on campus?

Was it a compliment or a suggestive comment?

Usually, there is a very thin line between an innocent compliment and a suggestive comment, like in the case of Stanley Babu, who allegedly told a female student that Western clothes look good on her and not Indian wear. And many female students who are on the receiving end, do not speak up, either because they don't expect their teachers to be capable of such acts and end up brushing off a lewd comment as a compliment or because they are too afraid to 'complain'. Pooja Ravindra, a final year student of SNIST says, "Most girls don't realise the difference between a comment and a compliment, unless they've faced such incidents before. For someone who has heard it for the first time, it can be flattering, especially if it comes from a teacher. But only the ones who have faced this before will know the underlying implication of such a 'compliment'."

Alka Nanda Somayajula, a third year mass communication student from St Francis Degree College, adds, "When a teacher compliments us, it usually boosts our self esteem. I guess that is why most don't speak up when things cross the line because we don't realise the difference."

Blurred boundaries

In today's times, where the teacher-student interaction has undergone a complete makeover and has become more informal and friendly, boundaries are often blurred. Marika Gabriel, a mass communication student from St Francis Degree College, says, "Our equations with lecturers are so different today — we are on each other's Facebook friend lists and even interact on messaging apps. And if a male lecturer compliments me, I wouldn't read too much into it, because he is a teacher and you don't expect anything latent from a teacher. It's only when incidents of sexual harassment by teachers crop up, the boundaries become very clear. In fact, when anonymous college confessions became a rage online, we saw girls talking about how they have a crush on male lecturers, but some of the posts were totally inappropriate and overtly sexual. It made us all uncomfortable knowing there could be more to this equation!"

Her college mate JF Zeba, adds, "Whatever the rapport between the teacher and student may be, a certain decorum should be maintained — teachers should know they're being judged even after classes."

When do you speak up?

Often, in subjects such as art, dance or sports, where a certain amount of physical contact with lecturers takes place, it does become difficult to find out when a student is being violated. But it all depends on instincts and comfort zone — the moment you feel uncomfortable, you should report it because often, silence can be perceived as encouragement. "Being quiet will encourage the perpetrator, because by not doing anything, you have shown him that you are helpless. He will keep taking advantage of you," says Kalyani Vyapari, a fourth year student from SNIST.

Source: Do you know you are being sexually abused?