In the lively halls of a college campus that are flooded with a sense of vigor, students seek the gifts and value of knowledge, personal growth and community.

Still, as students on campus go about their plans and pursue a higher education, a pestering worry looms largeThe invasive issue of harassment.

Whether it be verbal, physical or digital, harassment intrudes into the social workings of campus life and its population.

In an email interview with Michael Hun, senior Title IX and equity compliance officer at Dallas College, said, “If you feel unsafe on a college campus, it is difficult to have equal access to education.”

The effect of harassment

Safety concerns, such as harassment, that impact students’ well-being are not solely issues that need to be addressed by the administration, but most especially by the student body.

Yes, while many students feel secure on campus, we must be conscious enough to recognize not all share that same sense of safety.

Some students seek help and resources. Others look for the confidence to reach out in the first place and absolutely everyone needs to be educated on what to do and where resources are in such cases.

While institutional policies and resources are undeniably crucial and beneficial, the prevention of such cases begins with us – the students.

Prevention is so much more than simply noticing individual incidents of harassment and knowing what is right from wrong; it is about addressing the root factors that contribute to a culture of disrespect, violation and impunity and taking action.

All students must put effort into preventing incidents of harassment from happening at all.

You crossed a line…

Recently, I felt that it needed to be said that dealing with individuals who have overstepped boundaries, whether it be yours or that of a close companion, is not as simple as it seems.

Not only confronting but calling out said inappropriate behavior and educating individuals is a difficult and sometimes uncomfortable process.

To put it plainly, persecutors are ignorant and insensitive when it comes to their behavior. The use of the word ignorant even feels as if it gives too much slack to such a pressing topic. While very troubling and of great concern, harassment is not uncommon.

Like many others who have dealt with the unwanted attention of harassment, I have juggled with feelings of discomfort, frustration and even fear in the times of such inappropriate and overbearing behavior.

It can be difficult to process what exactly is happening in the first place.

Fostering a culture of respect

In an email to The Courier, Dallas College. Police Capt. Randy Bratton, said, “Anytime there is a large public location, where a large amount of people interact closely, can create opportunities for inappropriate and criminal behavior to occur.”

There is so much we can do as fellow students to advocate for and create a safe environment. We are all responsible for how we act and react. Feeling safe on campus should not feel like a privilege but a given.

We must be headstrong and truly strive to educate students and fellow peers on basic respect and take a stern stand against inappropriate conduct towards others. Institutions can only do so much.

Heather Daily, Brookhaven’s program lead for inclusive excellence, said, “Worrying about one’s own safety will drastically impact one’s focus on their studies and so my concern there is, are we doing enough as a college community?”

By raising awareness toward such dangers and embracing empathy toward others, we can challenge the ways of thinking that act as a foundation for harassing behaviors.

Societal norms, entitlement, objectification, desensitization, and overall misguided notions can lead individuals to justify their unjust actions and beliefs that directly harm others.

Dismantling harassment norms

Though most students here are of adults, this does not impede any chances of harassment. I am truly brought into a state of disbelief when individuals this far in life do not comprehend or ignorantly choose not to, the negative consequences of certain inappropriate behaviors. Therefore, equipping students with the appropriate knowledge and tools is of utmost importance.

Sean Guinyard, Brookhaven multicultural affairs coordinator, helped host the Bear Bystander Intervention/Self-Defense event March 6 on campus.

Students learned self-defense techniques from campus police and discussed proper social practices and bystander intervention.

Fighting for change through education

Guinyard said that due to women’s vulnerability to harassment in today’s world, he wanted to bring these principles of respect and social understanding to the men, specifically, on campus and make a point that we can all help influence and prevent certain incidents from happening with the right tools, knowledge and intentions.

Working toward a change and raising awareness would include educating individuals about the importance of personal boundaries and consent, the effect and role of power and privilege dynamics in today’s world and process the ways in which one’s actions can perpetuate distress and harm to others.

Moreover, through seminars and open discussions, we can empower students to identify, prevent and address harassment in its variety of forms.

By implementing comprehensive harassment prevention policies and outlooks and holding perpetrators accountable for their actions, as a community we combat harmful and inappropriate behavior.

For what is acknowledgment without further action?

Simply ignorance.