School drops sexual harassment claim against 6-year-old

[KitSileya]

82. Why the fear of calling his behavior for what it is?

The principal wouldn't have stood up in assembly and proclaimed that little Hunter is being suspended for sexual harassment. Only the school and his family would have access to his disciplinary record, and it is very clear his mother doesn't think that particular behavior was wrong. She agrees that he should be punished for his roughhousing, but that his kissing is apparently cute. She is angry that she had to explain to the boy what sex is, but a boy that keeps kissing a girl against her will can have sex explained to him in an age-appropriate way, and sexual harassment too. Leftymom, for example, phrased it really well in one of her posts.

As it is, I think the focus should be on the mother's and everyone else's reaction to this - the excusing and dismissing of the seriousness of this behavior. The girl was being touched and kissed against her will - her mother has had to teach her how to deal with persistent and unwanted touching. Dealing with it now, when it is still non-sexualized, is so much better than having to do it later, when the boy has reached puberty and is having urges and haven't learned that he cannot touch and kiss others with impunity. And should it, though I hope not, turn out that he is doing it in reaction to some trauma, calling sexual harassment what it is rather than bullying will give the school and the child psychologists a hint as to what the trauma might be.