Essay Sample on Flirting and Sexual Harassment in College

Flirtation is a kind of act that is geared towards giving signs that insinuate desire for intimacy. For instance, it may involve non-verbal expressions and gestures or words. Flirtation is done differently among different cultures. In college for instance, female students are known to flirt through their dressing. They wear extremely short dresses that reveal their thighs. In addition, they feel that when men see the cleavage and other parts, they will be attracted to them. However, sexual harassment refers to coercion into sex and other sexual acts. While flirting is done willingly and often playfully, sexual harassment is often done forcefully. In college for instance, it occurs through rape cases, where female students are raped. At times tough, it may result from flirting. The intention of flirting is not normally sex. Thus, when a woman puts on short cloths, a man may be tempted to have sex, and later force her into it (Golden, R, Peterson, F, Hilgenkamp, K, Harper, J & Boskey, 2010).

Gender differences always exist, where men are seen to be more authoritative than women are. Thus, men are more involved in sexual harassment, because they force women into sex. However, women have been observed to flirt more than women do, and thus attract sexual cases such as rape. The position of authority always matters. When two people are dating, for instance, the one in authority will always take the lead. If it is the man, then he may force the woman into certain act including sex. However, when it is a peer, they may both possess authority. In essence, however, the one in authority always dominates and controls sexual acts (Shaw, 2000).

Concern about sexual behavior has changed the behavior of individuals. For instance, women avoid walking alone at night for fear of rape. They do not also dress suggestively, as they try to put on longer clothes. However, some people have continued to flirt, increasing chances of rape. For instance, every Friday night in college, I have met women who are drunk and sleeping across the road. This means that they still afford to expose themselves to rape, because they go find get too drunk to find their way to the hostels. Recently a woman discovered she was pregnant but could not remember when she had sex. Later, she connected her situation to a night that she had drunk herself, and when she woke up, she was lying across the road. She only discovered later about the rape. Though she claims she was sexually harassed, I think her dressing also suggested that she needed she was in an unusually short dress, and lay across the road, almost naked and drunk (Greenberg, J, Bruess, C & Conklin, 2010).

Sexual harassment in college is on the increase as female students continue to expose their bodies by wearing short clothes. It also occurs due to cohabiting, because many partners always stay together. Through this, women are more prone to be harassed sexually by their male partners. For this reason, the college has put up policies that ensure female and male students do not stay together. In case, one is found, disciplinary action is taken. In addition, male students are not allowed into women’s hostels past 7pm. However, incase students are harassed they are advised to inform the security immediately. This allows them to get quick medical attention to avoid cases of pregnancies and other sexually transmitted diseases. Such incidences have been reported many times, though are reducing because of the policies employed (Michigan State University & Law, 2008).