Contemporary Social Problems & The Workplace: Sexual Harassment

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Harassment in Workplace
Varying Perceptions
Outcomes of Sexual Harassment
Prevention
Proposed Prevention Methods
Potential Benefits of Intervention
Conclusion
References

Introduction

Sexual harassment is unwanted sexual courtship, demands for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical manifestations of a sexual nature in the workplace, educational institutions, and other places. Sexual harassment is widespread in all areas of our society, whether it is industry, public service, or education. Sexual harassment is more than just a demand for sexual favors. If the actions of others create a hostile or intense work environment and are sexually motivated, they can also be characterized by this term. In most cases, the woman is the victim; however, any person may be the initiator.

Incorporating the knowledge about sexual harassment into current secondary school and college programs, improving the labor code, and encouraging labor unions to take part in the conversation may provide tangible benefits in terms of behavior change and negative perception. This shift will create equal opportunities at workplaces, contribute to productivity, and in turn, improve the economic indicators of the country.

Harassment in Workplace

In the past, sexual harassment of working women was often ignored, denied, presented as something insignificant, or even somewhat encouraged, and the blame for what happened was usually passed on to women. Women are virtually always victims of harassment, and this problem has existed since they started working outside their households (Karami, Swan, White, & Ford, 2019). Sexual harassment is not an innocent flirtation or an expression of attraction between a man and a woman (Karami et al., 2019). Sexual harassment is more a working stress factor, which poses a threat to the psychological and physical safety of a woman (Karami et al., 2019).

The reason is that a woman may have poor control over the situation because of the fear of being deprived of opportunities or losing her job. Like other work stress factors, sexual harassment can have an adverse impact on the woman’s health, and the effect might be, possibly, quite severe (Karami et al., 2019). Therefore, workplace harassment should be examined both in terms of safety and occupational health.

In relation to a particular woman, harassment involves sexual remarks with the aim of seducing, offering or demanding a date, touching, inducing sex through threats, bribery, or even physical assault and violence (Hoel & Vartia, 2018). In the case of a hostile environment, which seems to be the most common occurrence, jokes, ridicule, and other comments of a sexual nature may appear (Hoel & Vartia, 2018). They are found to be perilous and humiliating for women (Hoel & Vartia, 2018).

Pornographic or explicit sexual posters, rude sexual gestures, and similar methods may also be used to embarrass the woman (Hoel & Vartia, 2018). The list can be augmented with actions that involve using statements that ridicule the female gender as a whole.

In the majority of circumstances, men are responsible for sexual harassment. A significant percentage of the victims are women; however, there have also been cases of same-sex harassment. The latest study by McDonald and Charlesworth (2016) indicates that 89% of harassers are male, and only 11% are female. The same research showed that 11% of harassment cases happen between employees of the same sex, and more than half of them are between female workers (McDonald & Charlesworth, 2016).

Sexual harassment does not take only physical form but can be manifested in verbal and non-verbal communication. Comments and jokes that are sexually suggestive are the most prevalent form of non-physical sexual harassment in the workplace. Other types include asking impertinent questions that touch the physical appearance and private life of victims. As technology progressed and offered new ways of communicating, sexual harassment also exploited the space of online chats and emails.

Sending pictures, emails, and texts that attempt to abuse the employee’s personal space and contain comments of sexual nature are some ways people may sexually harass their colleagues. Even when it comes to colleagues, it is difficult for a woman to control harassment, which results in stress. Such a situation can emerge if there are fewer women in the team than men, or the superior manager is a male employee.

Varying Perceptions

In the United States, sexual harassment is considered a covert case of unlawful behavior in response to which the injured person has the right to charge and resort to legal proceedings (Karami et al., 2019). In the European community, it is seen more as a security issue and an indicator of the low social health of the team (Hoel & Vartia, 2018). However, this social issue is considered to be illegal, almost ubiquitously, and contemporary legislation in most countries has been amended to cover the problem of sexual harassment.

There are two different explanations of sexual harassment in the workplace. The first viewpoint is relevant to the most widespread form of sexual harassment – male worker makes jokes with sexual underpinning or demands sex from his female subordinate (McDonald & Charlesworth, 2016). This opinion emphasizes the role of the natural-biological model, according to which inevitable sexual desires toward women provoke harassment (McDonald & Charlesworth, 2016). This viewpoint, however, fails to explain sexual harassment of men toward men, women toward women, and of women in power toward subordinate male employees.

The perspectives of feminists, however, emphasize that power plays a more significant role. They argue that men’s more favorable economic situation allows them to exert sexual behavior toward women (McDonald & Charlesworth, 2016). However, it was noted that, although boss-subordinate cases are dominants, a substantial portion of workplace harassment takes place between employees of the same status (Karami et al., 2019).

Women themselves may not label unwanted sexual attention as sexual harassment because they perceive such activities as the normal behavior of men (del Carmen Herrera, Herrera, & Expósito, 2017). Men prefer to dismiss the condemnation by laughing, by not believing women or blaming them for provoking the men’s adverse behavior (del Carmen Herrera, Herrera, & Expósito, 2017). In addition, episodes of harassment are more often attributed to male executives than to work colleagues (del Carmen Herrera, Herrera, & Expósito, 2017).

This trend indicates the significance of the factor of differences in job status between the active side and the victim. For example, a compliment on behalf of a manager may be perceived as a threat by a woman because she may fear that retaliation may occur in response to her refusal, including a potential loss of her job or her inadequate assessment (Karami et al., 2019).

Outcomes of Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment reduces job satisfaction and increases employee turnover, damaging employers, and in turn, economic stability in the country. Like other production stress factors, it can adversely affect health, sometimes in acute forms (Jahnke et al., 2019). If the harassment takes a harsh form, for instance, with violence or attempted rape, the woman gets severe trauma (Jahnke et al., 2019). Even if the harassment is not so violent, a woman may develop psychological complexes – they become fearful, nervous, and insecure, may continuously feel shame and guilt, and become depressed (Jahnke et al., 2019).

Physical symptoms may appear – abdominal pain, headaches, and nausea, as well as behavioral problems such as insomnia, malnutrition, and overeating, sexual problems in relationships with others (Rinehart, Espelage, & Bub, 2017). Sexual harassment is not only a social problem but a healthcare issue because of a high number of possible adverse health outcomes.

Prevention

In the United States, harassment is prosecuted by law, which gives victims the right to go to court, although the chances of success are somewhat illusory. Victims also need help and advice, especially in order to realize their innocence in what happened. The main idea in the fight against harassment is prevention. Relevant guidelines have been disseminated through the Code of Practice of the European Commission, which includes several useful provisions (Hoel & Vartia, 2018).

These are the development and wide dissemination of a clear policy to combat harassment, specialized training, and education of managers, the creation of a distinct profession of an arbitrator to handle complaints, formal complaint procedures, alternative measures, taking disciplinary action against individuals who violate fundamental principles (Hoel & Vartia, 2018). However, the efficacy can be put under question because there is a lack of clear and documented evidence. Furthermore, more and more cases are being shared over social media and news. Therefore, it can be considered that the current framework for preventing sexual harassment is not utterly effective.

Proposed Prevention Methods

The issue of sexual harassment should be the subject of open discussion among other workplace problems concerning men and women. Trade unions could play a crucial role in promoting this topic. Sexual harassment can only be ended if men and women gain true social and economic equality, have equal rights with respect to all professions and positions. However, these objectives cannot be achieved without systematic intervention on a national level.

Gender inequalities are a foundational aspect of the sexual harassment of men against women. Therefore, the government should develop a framework for promoting equal rights between women and men. The initial step could be legislation that ensures female employees are paid an equal amount of money per hour of work. Currently, there is a significant difference in wage levels in the country (McLean, Beigi, & Bierema, 2016).

The framework should also encompass legislation that ensures that women receive the same opportunities as men when they enter the labor market. The statistics show that male workers occupy a significant portion of top positions (McLean, Beigi, & Bierema, 2016). These disparities may serve as a building block for sexual harassment (del Carmen Herrera, Herrera, & Expósito, 2017). By contributing to gender equality and equal opportunity in the labor market, the government will indirectly address the concerns about sexual harassment.

Education is crucial because sexual harassment is partly caused by the absence of social and moral values. The school system is responsible for providing children and adolescents with the necessary information about what is considered unfavorable. Integrating sex education and discussing the current issues in the workplace will help children and students understand the concept of equality and the abomination of sexual harassment.

The media plays a deteriorating role in this context. A high number of movies and other entertainment videos portray sexual harassment as something usual and natural. While the government’s intervention with the press and media may contradict the idea of a free nation, the education system should equip children and adolescents with the necessary means of defending themselves from the media’s adverse influence.

Potential Benefits of Intervention

Social development is tightly connected to the economic, political, environmental, and cultural advancement of people. In addition, it is inextricably linked to issues of peace, security, and freedom. Many people define development as pure economic growth. However, this concept is much broader – models of economic growth deal only with the increase of gross national product, but they do not encompass the improvement and rise in the quality of human life.

Women comprise almost half of the human resources, thus play a significant role in the development in terms of both economy and society. Because sexual harassment leads to adverse psychological outcomes, it can be considered that it also negatively impacts the economy because a human being loses productivity when there is an emotional issue. Preventing sexual harassment in the workplace contributes not only to gender equality but also to economic growth and corporate efficiency.

The problem with sexual harassment persists because there is not enough pressure on employers and the government. One individual woman may not possess the necessary power to be heard by the majority of the population. In some cases, employers may dismiss the accusations because of the worker’s insignificance. To address these issues, trade unions should take an active position in matters of sexual harassment.

They have enough power to demand that required changes are made to the labor code. Employers must feel constant pressure from labor unions in order to take immediate action. The efficacy of labor unions in resolving issues such as underpayment and unfavorable working conditions is proven by the presence of successful cases in the history of the United States. Therefore, it is fair to conclude that unions will be able to shape the workplace experiences for women significantly in terms of the absence of sexual harassment and equal opportunity.

Conclusion

Despite the presence of laws, codes of ethics, and moral principles, sexual harassment stays as one of the most significant problems in the contemporary workplace and society. There is a perception that no progress has been made since women entered the labor market in the last century. This fact not only undermines the government’s efficacy in resolving critical issues but also questions the ability of employers to provide equal opportunities to their employees, regardless of their sex. Any person can be a victim of sexual harassment, but women suffer the most from this social issue.

Workplace harassment is the most prevalent and has significant deteriorating effects on women. Sexually harassed female workers often feel stressed, lose productivity, experience emotional problems that may develop into more critical forms of psychological issues, such as depression and loss of confidence.

Sexual harassment is a result of several factors, such as economic inequality between male and female employees, gender inequality in the job market, and the perceptions created by the media products like movies and commercials that portray women as objects of sexual desire. The government may contribute to the elimination of sexual harassment by promoting equal rights between women and men, enhancing the education system, and improving the labor code. Labor unions may also play a crucial role in resolving the problem.

References

del Carmen Herrera, M., Herrera, A., & Expósito, F. (2017). To confront versus not to confront: Women’s perception of sexual harassment. European Journal of Psychology Applied to Legal Context, 10(1), 1-7.

Hoel, H., & Vartia, M. (2018). Bullying and sexual harassment at the workplace, in public spaces, and in political life in the EU. Study for European Parliament’s Policy Department for Citizens’ Rights and Constitutional Affairs at the request of the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality. Web.

Jahnke, S. A., Haddock, C. K., Jitnarin, N., Kaipust, C. M., Hollerbach, B. S., & Poston, W. S. C. (2019). The Prevalence and Health Impacts of Frequent Work Discrimination and Harassment among Women Firefighters in the US Fire Service. BioMed Research International, 1–13.

Karami, A., Swan, S. C., White, C. N., & Ford, K. (2019). Hidden in plain sight for too long: Using text mining techniques to shine a light on workplace sexism and sexual harassment. Psychology of Violence. Web.

McDonald, P., & Charlesworth, S. (2016). Workplace sexual harassment at the margins. Work, Employment and Society, 30(1), 118-134.

McLean, G., Beigi, M., & Bierema, L. L. (2016). Women’s leadership: Troubling notions of the “ideal”(male) leader. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 18(2), 119-136.

Rinehart, S. J., Espelage, D. L., & Bub, K. L. (2017). Longitudinal effects of gendered harassment perpetration and victimization on mental health outcomes in adolescence. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 0886260517723746.

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