Facilitator:
Abstract
Sexual harassment has been a recurrent issue that has haunted the federal and government agencies for a long time. It involves undesirable sexual advances in the workplace. Efforts have been underway since the early 1990s to regulate sexual harassment. However, cases seem to be on the rise despite the concerted efforts to eliminate it. The federal agencies and courts considered the need of declaring sexual harassment illegal to contain the practice. Through proper rules and regulations that are well implemented and government involvement, sexual harassment can be tamed. Employers need to secure policies against harassment of their workers. Furthermore, employees need awareness on how to handle incidences of sexual violence through the proper protocols.
Sexual harassment is still is factor great concern among in the current generation. Women from different parts of the world have constantly filed court cases complaining of sexual harassment in the workplace. Unlike men, women are more susceptible to incidences of sexually oriented behavior. However, this does not imply that men are immune to sexual harassment and have not experienced this form of discrimination. Men from different professions also protest to their employers of being sexually harassed. Sexual harassment has been a recurrent topic that has attracted attention of many scholars and policy makers (Diane, 1996). The paper provides a broad review of the subject of sexual harassment and it consequences especially in the work environment.
Courts have been at the center of sexual harassment cases and lawsuits since the 1960s. There have been numerous cases filed in the courts on behalf of women who have raised concerns of facing sexual exploitations. These cases were handled by organizations and agencies that were in support of the civil rights of women. They chose to represent and fight for the pleas of women in the courts. However, most of the cases are often unsuccessful. Women mainly complain of hostile working environments where they are haunted by exposure to sexually explicit materials and behavior from their male colleagues in their places of work (Paludi, 1991). A breakthrough was achieved in the late 1980s when the Supreme Court had ruled in support of women and declared sexual harassment illegal. The court advocated for a comfortable working environment devoid of sexual harassment. There has been a concerted and dedicated effort to tackle sexual harassment by the federal agency. Employers should make sure sexual violence in their companies, and organizations is prevented since it causes depression to the victims while affecting the network input and output, and the eventual low productivity of businesses (Diane, 1996).
Defining Sexual Harassment
Sexual harassment entails any form of sex favoritism that involves sexually oriented behavior that is unsolicited. It is characterized by sexual demands and advances coupled with physical contact, with the promise of favors. According to the state and federal laws, it is a civil right for any employee to have non-discriminatory treatment at work. It is particularly considered illegal when sexual harassment becomes frequent and offensive creating a hostile environment for the victim (Paludi, 1991). The law highlights that no worker should persevere a hostile working environment. The illegality of the act of sexual harassment in the workplace has been emphasized in the federal laws. The law implies to both sexes since either can be the harasser or the victim. However, as mentioned women are recorded as having higher rates of victimization of sexually charged behavior (Boland, 2005).
Apart from the courts, several state and federal agencies and employers have received numerous reports of sexual harassment. This indicates the immensity of the issue as a persistent social problem that affects the contemporary workplace. Research states that one out of every two women has been a victim of sexual harassment. However, other surveys speculate that the number might be higher. Surveys done during the 1970s portrayed that nearly half of the working population of women had experienced sexual violence. In some extreme cases and statistics, the number goes up to an estimate of almost 80% of working women (Paludi, 1991). Initially, sexual harassment was a minor problem in the workplace experienced by only a select few individuals. This was not until the 1970s when it became a serious case of discrimination. However, even after sexual harassment in the workplace was declared illegal, women and a small but a considerable number of men were still facing sexual harassment (Boland, 2005).
The Prevalence of Sexual Harassment in Workplace
Over the decades, sexual harassment has still maintained a high prevalence both in the public and private workplaces. The numbers of victims have grown over the years from the increased reports of sexual harassment in the federal agency. Enforcement of laws has done little to solve the problem. Even with heightened awareness of sexual harassment, cases have still been on the rise according to federal statistics. At the present date, sexual harassment has caused losses in millions of dollars from numerous lost opportunities in professions and careers both to the men and to women. However, sexual harassment has been observed to cause significant social and economic effects, particularly to women and girls (Boland, 2005).
There are two major subdivisions of sexual harassment, “quid pro quo” and “hostile working environment”. “Quid pro quo” involves sexual harassment with the promise of benefits in employment. This may include the promise of gaining or keeping a job. Employers and supervisors often do it. “Hostile working environment” occurs when sexual harassment becomes intimidating, repetitive and offensive subjecting the victim to a working environment that is hostile (Diane, 1996). Coworkers are the main harassers here. Any worker experiencing any form of sexual harassment as mentioned has a civil right to report the case to his or her employer or to the federal agency. Employers should adopt policies that are against sexual harassment to protect their employees. The law gives employees the right to sue their employers in courts in incidences where employers fail to take action when cases of violence are reported to them. It is against any form of sexual violence and is tailored to protect the civil rights of all employees and prevent any form of this employment discrimination in the workplace (Paludi, 1991).
Dynamics of Sexual Violence
Strangers, students, work colleagues, clients to organizations and businesses, relatives, teachers and even friends can be sexual harassers. Very often, the victim has no power against sexual violence largely because someone of a higher office does it. Differences in age, political, social, gender and employment relations also cause sexual harassment. Studies indicate that supervisors and other seniors have higher chances of committing sexual harassment in the workplace. Supervisors often have authority similar to that of the employer. Some even have powers to make decisions over employees and issue promotions. Coworkers and non-employers can also be responsible for acts of sexual violence. However, rules against them are different from those of the supervisors due to their lack of authority (Boland, 2005).
Employers are to take corrective measures against any form of harassment before the victims file lawsuits. Companies are according to the law expected to take care of their workers and make sure they are not harassed sexually. Sexual harassment is clearly discrimination in employment especially since often victims believe that objecting to the sexual advances may prevent them from a promotion or cause them retrenchment if some workers are exploited sexually. In most instances, individuals tolerate exploitive actions in order to gain favor from their seniors. However, this not to be the case since it is the civil right of any worker to refuse to consent to sexual advances in the field of work. Employees are instead encouraged to report such incidences. Employees have the right to continue working even after filing complaints. The law protects them from retaliation of the perpetrators (Victoria, 1998).
Causal Factors
Power is the principal cause of sexual harassment according to surveys. Researchers claim that the abuse of power fuels sexual harassment. People in positions of power tend to induce fear over their minors to exercise their authority. Right from elementary school to college, sexual harassment is viewed as a normal occurrence. Boys also often harass girls to prove their dominion over them. Different professions regardless of the nature of work are all prone to sexual violence. Both the non-professional and the professional women are all susceptible to sexual violence (Boland, 2005).
The stereotyping of sexes is also a major cause of sexual harassment. Women are often the victims of this gender stereotype. Women in the male dominated professions have a higher risk of sexual harassment. Women who are successful and make good money often intimidate men. In an effort to maintain their falling ego and eliminate competition, these men resort to sexually harassing the women. This then affects their service delivery. The number of women in the work place is also a major cause of sexual violence (Juliana, 1992). A small ratio of women to men often leads to scrutiny of women that result to harassment. Some professions present higher cases of sexual harassment when rated against others. For instance, the police department presents a major hotspot for sexual violence given their low numbers and the fact that policing is traditionally a male-dominated profession. This has also been the case for women in forces. Federal workers in the federal government have not been spared from the sexual harassment. Several studies conducted in 1994 revealed that almost half of the women federal workers had been victims of sexual violence (Boland, 2005)
The atmosphere and environment in the workplace is also a significant cause of sexual harassment. There are workplaces that have a sexualized environment with a lot of sexual jokes and language. In these kinds of workplaces, women are often treated as sexual objects and are more likely to be sexually harassed (Boland, 2005).
Effects of Harassment
The effects of sexual harassment depend on an individual together with the frequency and duration of the incidences. There are women and men who are able to withstand continued sexual advances, but there are many who are often eventually overwhelmed. Sexual harassment can cause severe psychological effects including stress and depression. Physicians and psychiatrists have developed their awareness on the importance of sexual harassment because of the increased number of patients with mental health problems from sexual harassment (Diane 1996). Sexual harassment highly affects women as it prevents them from fully participating in different social and economic forums; thus, they end up losing on opportunities in the job market that are often not easy to appear. Consequently, most women often end up filing for lawsuits in an effort to regain the lost economic benefits from episodes of sexual harassment at work. For victims who are unlucky, they end up being fired or are prevented from advancing in their careers when they fail to comply with the harassers and hence loss of income. In some extreme cases, victims relocate to other cities and seek job transfers due to the public humiliation they experience. There have also been some cases of victims being affected in their sexual and social relationships. Incidences of sexual harassment have been a major barrier for women that have prevented them from progressing in their career (Victoria, 1998).
Companies lose a lot of money in sexual violence and harassment cases. The federal government uses a lot of taxpayer money each year in an attempt to halt sexual violence. Private businesses also lose a lot of money due to sexual harassment. Millions of dollars are also lost in judgment awards from cases of sexual harassment each year, when victims are awarded money to compensate for their loss because of sexual harassment (Juliana, 1992).
Regulation of Sexual Harassment
Sexual harassment should be controlled through policies, rules and procedures against sexual violence in the workplace. This will help to create a favorable working environment in the organization and to eliminate hostility. There should be a re-examination of gender ratio in the workplace. In organizations with fewer females than men, there should be facilitation for the increase of the number of women. Training and education on sexual harassment as part of the awareness programs should be integrated in organizations (Boland, 2005). There should be awareness on the importance of eliminating sexual stereotype in the workplace. The government and the corporate department are expected to be involved in the efforts to prevent sexual violence in the workplace, through laws and Acts. For example, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 in the United States. Employers by the law are to protect their workers through ensuring they do not face any form of sexual harassment. This will help since they will be ultimately responsible incase of any breach of respect to the workers. It is the role and duty of victims of sexual harassment to take the necessary action the moment they are sexually victimized in the workplace. They should not stay silent and keep their attackers as secret. Instead, their employers and the federal agency are to be alerted (Juliana, 1992).
Positive Benefits from Prevention of Sexual Harassment
Apart from individual benefits of social and economic benefits, the organization is bound to gain from the institutional changes. There will be increased productivity due to increased work output, reduced conflicts and better cooperation amongst employers in an organization. The ethical standards and discipline in the organization will be improved which will then aid the organization, company, school, university and even hotel managements to gain the trust and respect of clients. There will also be a general reduction of expenses by the company since there will be no cases of healthcare treatment costs and legal fees in law courts. As a result, organizations will be able to meet their financial goals (Boland, 2005).
Conclusion
It is evident that sexual violence in the workplace is the main cause for hostile working environments. To prevent this, there should be awareness programs on sexual violence. Government involvement and implementation of rules and regulations is essential. This is important in improving the working conditions that would eventually attract both social and economic gains to the workers and employers. Victims should take necessary action and should not tolerate sexual harassment. An individual has a right to a sexual hostility free working environment and a right to seek for justice when their sexuality is compromised while at work. Employees should not accept sexual hostility or surrender their jobs because of sexual harassment (Boland, 2005). In case of difficulties in seeking justice, victims should seek the services of lawyers who will make sure they are compensated for the compromise to their work and sexuality. Indeed, there is a need of taking necessary actions to contain sexual harassment. This will help prevent huge loses of income and productivity in companies.
References
Boland, M. (2005). Sexual Harassment in the Workplace. Illinois: Sphinx Publishing
Diane, K. (1996). Sexual Harassment in the workplace and Academia: Psychiatric issues.
Washington: American Psychiatric Press.
Juliana, L., Elizabeth H. (1992). Sexual Harassment in the Workplace: A Guide to
Prevention. Canada: Crisp Learning
Paludi., Michele A.,& Barickman, (1991). Academic and Workplace Sexual Harassment.
New York: SUNY Press.
Victoria, F. (1998). Coping with Sexual Harassment and Gender Bias. New York: Rosen
Publishing Group.
