SWFL middle schoolers outnumber high schoolers in sexual offense discipline

FORT MYERS, Fla. – Southwest Florida middle school students outnumber high school students in discipline for sexual offenses, according to Florida Department of Education data.

During the 2014-15 school year, 126 middle school students were disciplined compared to 84 high school students, according to the most current data.

The number of students disciplined for sexual harassment and sexual offenses has risen steadily within the past three school years:

Two Lee County middle schools, Oak Hammock in Fort Myers (16) and Harns Marsh in Lehigh Acres (11), had the highest number of sexual harassment discipline in Southwest Florida.

The School District of Lee County declined an on-camera interview, but a spokesperson said through email and phone that the aforementioned numbers represent a small percentage of students getting into trouble for sexual harassment.

Reports to law enforcement

Sexual harassment and sexual offenses are not as serious as sexual battery and sexual assault, which by law must be reported to law enforcement.

The state Department of Education does not require sexual harassment or sexual offenses to be reported to law enforcement, although some schools choose to do so.

Reports from a sample of middle schools across Southwest Florida provide a glimpse into how students are getting into trouble:

• A female student at Oak Hammock was reportedly poked in her private area with a pen by a male student, according to a Dec. 2015 Lee County Sheriff’s Office report.
• Two students were caught having sex on campus at Manatee Middle, according to a March 2014 Collier County Sheriff’s Office report.
• A male student had 78 explicit videos and photos of a female classmate at L.A. Ainger Middle, according to a Sept. 2015 Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office report. The photos were sent through Facebook Messenger.
• A game called “Boob Grab Thursday,” where boys reportedly grab girls’ breasts, were played at one Punta Gorda school, according to a March report from the Punta Gorda Police Department.

Below are the schools with the most sexual offense and sexual harassment discipline:

Parent awareness

More than 20 percent of middle school students experience some level of sexual harassment, according to a University of Illinois study.

“They usually minimize their behavior. They don’t take responsibility or they actually distort it and see it as normal behavior,” said Dr. Omar Reiche, a child psychologist who works with juveniles who’ve gotten into trouble for sexual misconduct.

Sexual harassment can be traumatic to a victim if it’s not addressed and recognized, said Reiche, who added that it can also be harmful to the perpetrator.

Perpetrators often show harassing behavior at a young age, and if not addressed, will continue it into adulthood, Reiche said: