New and Old Faces of Sexual Harassment
It is fairly easy to view the topic of sexual harassment as an old problem, to chuck it in the "problem solved" bin. However, even in this modern age, with all our laws protecting employees and students, sexual harassment still deserves our attention. With all the coverage the topic of bullying has gotten into the media lately, I think it is fair to remind everybody that sexual harassment is a form of bullying and abuse. It may be easy to file it away as only a semi-serious problem and to laugh at the idea of sensitivity seminars; however, victims of sexual harassment are real victims and the perpetrators are doing serious damage.It is important to note that the harasser may be any gender and the victim may be any gender. Sexual harassment does not just include the Don-Draper-esque scenarios of the older white male slapping his secretary on the behind as a compliment. Harassment may take the form of unwanted sexual advancements from either males or females, jokes or comments that make the work place uncomfortable or a quid pro quo situation where the harasser offers advancement or other rewards in exchange for sexual favors. When harassment happens, someone is abusing their position of power to take advantage of the other person. This is what makes the harassment so dangerous and oftentimes seemingly inescapable. The victim may feel they have no recourse and no where to turn. The trust in the work place is destroyed, and it may feel like there is no safe to get that trust back.
The effects of sexual harassment are wide ranging. It can take a severe toll on a victim's psyche and emotional stability. Depression and anxiety are common effects as well as increased absenteeism and loss of productivity. This can have a profound negative effect on earning power and professional opportunity. Sexual harassment situations cost millions of dollars every year in lost career opportunities for victims. Beyond monetary consequences, lasting effects may include post traumatic stress disorder, weight loss or weight gain, addiction to drugs or alcohol, loss of self esteem, and even suicidal tendencies.
Sexual harassment is not just harmful for the individual victims. Businesses and work places should be aware of the effects sexual harassment has on work environment as a whole. It can lead to a decrease in productivity and profitability, decrease in job satisfaction (which will inevitably lead to loss of valuable employees), failure to comply with company ethics standards, and the potential for long, drawn-out and costly legal action. Every work place should be vigilant in seeking out harassers and standing up for the rights of their employees to work in a safe environment.
With the business world around us changing every day, the face of sexual harassment is no doubt changing as well. With the rise of text messaging, smart phones, and social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, more people are interacting through electronic media. The news has buzzed recently about indecent photographs being sent over twitter, and laws are being drafted and introduced to handle the new phenomenon of "sexting."
Companies should take into consideration that harassment may take place over this new outlet and should take seriously any complaints they may receive. Victims of online harassment may not feel like they have the right to complain if such harassment takes place through electronic avenues and not physically at work. However, we should be open and honest about the consequences that online harassment may have in the work place. Employers should encourage employees to come to them with any behavior they find uncomfortable including cyber-stalking, online harassment, and any hostile or unwanted sexual texting. A strong employer-employee relationship built on trust and support is key to tackling sexual harassment in any form it takes.
