Quote:
Originally Posted by Philip Arola
That is the problem isn't it? Very rarely do we intend to castigate somebody, and yet, we can overreact. I've done it. Chances are you've done it. We've all done it. What I've tried to explain is that some people have been equivocating harassment with simply being awkward. Not everyone ITT, but some. Those are who I was addressing when saying that we should be careful when embarrassing people, particularly the young who are susceptible to self-esteem issues.
I never said peoples' experiences were invalid, I was saying that it is not perfect. When you represent both sides, you determine how widespread an issue is. The nature of the issue changes depending on perspective. Perspective is crucial.
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Awkwardness and harassment are two different things. I can be an extremely awkward person- and it is never pleasant to look around and see confused looks. I am defining harassment is when the actions are focused on another person or group and can be perceived as threatening or degrading. What are you using to define the difference between the two?
We may be referring to different degrees of embarrassment as well. What I am trying to refer to is the near inevitable embaressment that results when one is told, however kindly, that they crossed a social line. The only ways to reliably avoid this are to either not cross lines, or to not be informed when you do. I do agree that mentors and authority figures can and often should take the option to not publically shame someone when they try to redirect them, depending on the context. The student being bothered, however does not have this responsibility of extra care, as they already have no choice in getting tangled up in the matter.