Sexual harassment can be defined basically as that intimidation, or sexual coercion that an individual receives from another individual. It can also refer to the unwelcome promise of a particular reward in exchange of sexual affair, or a form of demotion that results from a denied sexual favor (Lickey, Berry, & Whelan-Berry, 2009). This is referred to as Quid pro quo. It can be a form of hostile environment when a supervisor asks for a sexual favor to a junior in such a way that it makes it difficult for her to perform her duties well (Tyler, 2008). In Isaiah Thomas vs. Anucha Browne Sanders, Thomas was found guilty of sexually harassing Sanders and was ordered by the court to pay her $6 million for creating a hostile environment. This case can be used in favor of pollard.
Pollard experienced the form of sexual harassment that is in the form of a hostile environment for working. This is because of the way her colleagues treated her at work and some even sat on her seat and refused to go in a recorded case one of the employees spanked her. The supervisor was unwilling to help her either as he is reportedly a culprit as well.
Pollard in this case was a victim of sexual harassment. This is because of the fact that on numerous occasions she received some form of hostility and when she reported to the supervisor she was asked to ‘grow some balls’. She also got physically assaulted by one of the Teddy drivers. From the legal definition of sexual harassment, the evidence is sufficient to conclude that she was sexually harassed.
The company may file for two common defenses against sexual harassment; ‘it did not happen’ and ‘welcomeness’. The first defense entails the employer’s complete denial of the fact that the sexual harassment act actually happened. The second one, the company can argue that the plaintiff did consent to the harassment by the alleged offenders. These are the two defenses that teddy can file against the case. A common precedence that can be used is In Mc Lean v. Satelite tech. Servs., where the defendant claimed that the sexual overture did not actually happen. The other case is Trautvetter v. Quick where it was held that the plaintiff, Trautvetter welcomed the advance and even actively encouraged the advancement by quick.
Disparate treatment refers to the situation where a person is treated differently from others in the employment context. This is a form of discrimination. The Human rights commission found that it had occurred since Pollard was even fired from her position yet King was retained.
To help improve the sexual harassment policy, the company ought to incorporate the aspect of consensual relationship agreement. This will enable the employees to sign consent that they are have a mutual consent to relationship and any complaint can be dealt with in reference to the agreement. It also cushions the company against any potential lawsuits that can be detrimental to the financial position of the organization.
The company can also enlighten the employees on the sexual harassment dangers including providing an advisory statement on romantic/sexual relationships between the employees and their supervisors (Tyler, 2008). This would have ensured that the employees respect their female counterparts thus reducing the potential litigations against them and/ or the company.
The other measure that the company could take is to incorporate corrective measures whenever a sexual harassment complaint has been launched. This would ensure that the complaint does not result in a legal suit as the case is with Pollard.
References
Lickey, N. C., Berry, G. R., & Whelan-Berry, K. S. (2009). Responding to workplace romance: A proactive and pragmatic approach. Journal of Business Inquiry , 100-119.
Tyler, K. (2008). Sign in the name of love: Can ‘love contracts’ decrease an employer’s litigation risks and keep office romances in check? HR Magazine , 41-43.
Despite its unlawful nature, sexual harassment can be observed in any workplace, creating barriers and problems for victims of offenses. Two types of prohibited behavior are quid pro quo harassment and hostile environment harassment. Five sources have been selected to research these two types of sexual harassment in the workplace, and they need to be discussed in detail with the focus on their reliability and authenticity.
The first source to consider is the chapter written by Farris et al. (2015) that is included in Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment in the US Military by Morral, Gore, and Schell. In this chapter, the authors discussed sexual harassment in the context of gender discrimination concerning the experiences of those people who work in the US military forces. According to the authors, a hostile work environment is characterized by demonstrating and using inappropriate sexual gestures, behaviors, and language that can be offensive to colleagues. An environment is characterized as hostile when such inappropriate behaviors are persistent and active or severe. The researchers state that, in the US military forces, one out of eight women usually faces such type of sexual harassment (Farris et al., 2015). Quid pro quo is a type of harassment that includes forcing sexual contact by a person who has power in an organization. Clear evidence should be presented to categorize sexual harassment as a quid pro quo. This printed source is reliable and credible because the information provided in the chapter is based on surveys and study data.
The second source is electronic, and it is a copy of Keeney and Nash’s (2015) study published online. The researchers conducted a descriptive study on sexual harassment observed in the workplace and described two types of unlawful behavior in detail. Analyzing cases in which quid pro quo harassment is observed, they state that this behavior includes “unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature” (as cited in Keeney & Nash, 2015, p. 3). Furthermore, the researchers proposed the legal definition of a hostile work environment as harassment that “has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment” (as cited in Keeney & Nash, 2015, p. 4). The content of this source can be discussed as reliable and authentic as the researchers referred to legal sources in their paper to support their arguments.
The third source is the book edited by Richards and Marcum (2014). This book includes a detailed analysis of sexual victimization not only in the workplace but also in society. Quid pro quo harassment and hostile environment harassment are defined and described in this book concerning particular cases and situations in which they can be noticed and reported. In the conclusion, Richards and Marcum (2014) stated that these types of sexual harassment are typical of many environments in the United States despite their illegal character, and they are signs of discrimination and inequality in society. This source is reliable and based on scholarly research on the topic.
The fourth source is the article by Salman, Abdullah, and Saleem (2016) that is available online. In their article, the authors described sexual harassment in the workplace with the focus on its effects on the turnover intentions of victims of such behaviors. Quid pro quo harassment and hostile environment harassment were also examined in detail. According to Salman et al. (2016), quid pro quo harassment can directly influence employees’ turnover intentions because “failure to comply with harasser’s requests or offers causes an adverse impact on employment procedures such as promotion, compensation and benefits, performance appraisals, and other conditions” (p. 89). Furthermore, when hostile environment harassment is observed, “victims’ response to stop sexual harassment behaviors will adversely affect the conduct of their job” (Salman et al., 2016, p. 90). The source includes the reliable and authentic content based on the findings of the study conducted in the educational sector.
The fifth source is located on the website of the U.S. Department of Labor. The article describes two types of sexual harassment that can be reported in the workplace. This source is important to be researched because it provides clear examples of behaviors and activities that allow for differentiating these two types of sexual harassment. Thus, possible variants of the offensive behavior are discussed in the article with the focus on aspects that make this behavior unlawful (U.S. Department of Labor, n.d.). The source is reliable, and the information is valid as it is provided by the U.S. Department of Labor on its official website.
The review of the selected sources indicates that each of them is important to provide useful information regarding types of sexual harassment. The discussed sources are valid, and their authenticity is proved. Therefore, they can be successfully used to support the project on quid pro quo harassment and hostile environment harassment.
References
Farris, C., Jaycox, L. H., Schell, T. L., Street, A. E., Kilpatrick, D. G., & Tanielian, T. (2015). Sexual harassment and gender discrimination findings: Active component. In A. R. Morral, K. L. Gore & T. L. Schell (Eds.), Sexual assault and sexual harassment in the US military (pp. 31-54). Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation.
Sexual harassment in the school environment often creates a destructive educational environment for both teachers and students. As a rule, it includes not only discrimination but also direct or indirect sexual overtones (Higham, 2018). It is considered illegal in the working environment, mostly when it occurs frequently, and leads to such results as resigning or quitting. The awareness of female teacher abuse is growing annually, and the situation is getting worse as no action is taken (Higham, 2018). However, sometimes, the claims are unreasoned, which complicates things for those who suffer from any assaults. Therefore, there is a need to find out when one may claim to be harassed.
Unfortunately, Mrs. Angela Davidson became the target of sexual harassment by teenagers, and her situation seems to have worsened when these students began to walk past her home slowly. Moreover, she started feeling anxious because the school leader ignored the problem and received a negative teacher evaluation a week later. Her case is quite complicated due to the lack of evidence and support for her claims. As a result, she can face trouble filing for assaults.
If she decides to resign and file for sexual harassment, she will need to prop it with testimony. Nevertheless, she does not have any assistant principal, but the one who oversees the students’ discipline and forgot to report Mrs. Davidson’s complaint due to her busyness. Moreover, demotion, firing, or quitting her job may eventually result in a lawsuit against a person who initially instigated it. Since she has only experienced unregistered verbal attacks and has seen her students pass by her house, she cannot get strong evidence to protect her. What is more, her complaint was reported in an oral form, while the best way for a victim to present a claim is in writing. Consultants may help Mrs. Davidson gather more valid proof and ensure the protection of her rights.
On the other hand, she should resort to her school’s harassment policy, if there is one, and report that she faced students’ misconduct. If it does not work, she may identify witnesses (other students in her class) and ask them if they could provide any testimony for her defense. In addition, her husband can give extra details because he saw the boys from her class around their possessions. Nonetheless, she may be proclaimed a troublemaker seeking attention. In other words, the victim becomes the accused, risking hostility and disrespect from their colleagues, students, and others (Higham, 2018). Women are mostly exposed to emotional damage, and if Mrs. Davidson has no other choice but to resign, she may do it if the atmosphere is too tense. Afterward, she may contact the police for the students to be spoken to since sexual harassment is a crime that should be legally punished. Otherwise, she needs to resort to the local council and demand the school inspection.
All in all, the case of Mrs. Angela Davidson is quite controversial as not enough evidence can be presented for a legal lawsuit. Since the school administration decided to neglect the incident, she may not be fully guaranteed adequate protection. Moreover, she does not own written or recorded evidence that would help her to solve the issue. However, she may seek help from the police or city council to inspect the school she works in.
Reference
Higham, L. (2018). An affective politics of sexual harassment at school in the 21st century: Schooling and sexualities twenty years later. Sex Education, 18(3), 293-306. Web.
There is no arguing that sexual harassment is a gender issue: it is a production of gender differences, usually manifesting itself in a ‘men are the perpetrators, women are the victims’ dynamic. It is a cultural issue as well: the term ‘sexual harassment’ is increasingly becoming misunderstood as confined only to the concepts of sexualized violence, when such a reading is distorted. This paper explores how sexual harassment towards women is a way for men to establish a relationship with one another, and how broadening the definition is essential for the phenomenon behind it to be better understood. In understanding sexual harassment’s causes and forms, society is to find the ways to address it as a problem more effectively.
In its acutest form, sexual harassment is employed as a tactic of asserting power. In her work, Quinn (2002) explores this phenomenon through the act of girl watching, that is, a practice of men sexually assessing women, often along with other men. By watching women, men demonstrate their right to evaluate them as sexual objects. However, the question remains whether it is always men’s direct intention to demoralize fellow women by sexually objectifying them. Quinn (2002) states that it is not: girl watching is a game that men play for other men; the subjectivity of women who are watched is relegated to the background. Such games are not to be dismissed as something shallow; Quinn (2002) notes that, for children, play is an influential form of gender-based social action. It simultaneously operates as a source of entertainment and a device of production and reproduction of gendered individualities, group boundaries, and balance of power.
In this way, the particular practice of girl watching is men performing for other men, a tool helping generate a particular kind of masculinity and present strong heterosexual desire. Quinn (2002) reports that the masculine identity is not static; it needs to be reclaimed constantly. According to the public, ‘being a man’ is, but not limited to, having a pronounced sexuality that is to some extent uncontrollable and natural for all males. When it comes to what men think about their behavior negatively affecting fellow women, according to Quinn (2002), they simply do not think about it. Some expressed empathy for harassment victims but only when asked to imagine being a woman in their workplace. Nevertheless, when thought experiments are over, women remain objects, and it seems like men will never care for their feelings at the expense of the establishment of their masculinity.
It is interesting to note that there are other researchers who came to the same conclusions regarding men bonding over sexual harassment, even when their work is not necessarily focused on it. An example is Soucek and Schultz (2019), whose paper’s subject is the term ‘sexual harassment’ and what it is associated with in the modern society. In one of the paper’s sections, Soucek and Schultz (2019) note that, according to the public’s distorted view of the phenomenon, misplaced sexual desire is the only reason why sexual harassment occurs. However, it is not: the authors acknowledge that harassing women helps men maintain masculine status in other men’s eyes (Soucek and Schultz, 2019). As an example, the researchers cite the words of Christine Blasey Ford, a sexual assault victim, who knew that at her expense two men had a form of “homosocial bonding” (Soucek and Schultz, 2019, p.250). While there is nothing in this research about whether men value their relationships with other men more than they sympathize with women, the conclusion is self-evident: even if some do not, they are a minority.
As a matter of fact, Sexual Harassment by Any Other Name is the authors’ attempt to demonstrate the importance of properly using the term ‘sexual harassment’. While some might think that this is a simple debate about words, Soucek and Schultz (2019) believe that the sexualized view of harassment – the one increasingly more resorted to now – is detrimental. From the authors’ viewpoint, there is a need in understanding harassment more broadly, as a means of eroding the inclusion, authority, and competence of women and ‘lesser’ men in male-dominated spaces (Soucek and Schultz, 2019). This kind of harassment functions as the reinforcement of gender differences and the claim of competence and authority as a way to preserve masculinity. By exiling women and gender-non-conforming men or categorizing them as ‘others’, dominants strengthen their superiority in social and economic status as well as in sense of male identity. According to this concept, sexual harassment is a consequence as much as an additional cause of sex segregation or gender imbalance in the workplace.
This is why, as part of the new approach, law and policy are to aim at eradicating gender hierarchies rather than prohibiting sexuality as is. Soucek and Schultz (2019) state that ‘sexual harassment’ must be re-conceived to include sex-based or gender-based pejorative actions and remarks which, however, are devoid of sexualized content. At the end of the day, harassment might involve sexual advances, gender-related insults, or animosity, marginalization, and mockery; all of this serves one purpose: the strengthening of the gendered identity of men. However, with the definition broadened, attention will be drawn to all acts of gendered harassment, not only sexualized ones, and, therefore, these will be more likely to addressed as well.
In conclusion, it is extremely important what people understand as sexual harassment and its causes. It must become common knowledge that women are not to blame in sexual harassment since it often has nothing to do with them, and that ‘sexual’ means not ‘sexualized’ but ‘sex-based’. If that happens, more people will find courage to speak about their experiences, and the chances of the problem being addressed more efficiently will significantly improve.
Sexual harassment entails unwelcome and inappropriate sex-based conduct that usually offends or hurts the recipient. In many cases, women have been on the receiving end of sexual harassment. In a news article published in Politico on March 19, mounting concerns over sexual harassment perpetrated by U.S Congress representatives have been raised (Niedzwiadek, 2021). In the article found on, house representative Tom Reed has been accused of sexually harassing Nicolette Davis, who is an army second lieutenant. The event, which happened in 2017, is set to negatively impact Reed’s race to the governorship. On the same note, Reed spoke on sexual harassment allegations facing the current New York Governor, Andrew Cuomo, terming them as unacceptable and abhorrent (Niedzwiadek, 2021). Six women have accused Governor Cuomo of sexual misconduct, an issue that has led to mounting demands for his resignation.
In view of the weekly readings, the news event described above highlights how sexual harassment and politics affect personal and social interactions. The article has revealed that power is abused by many U.S. representatives who use their political positions to engage in sexual misconduct. According to our course text, sex is biological, while gender is the socially constructed concept that determines how men and women conduct themselves (Andersen & Witham, 2011). As shown in the articles, men have been accused of sexually harassing women, even while working in the same executive chamber. The ongoing investigations are set to bring an end to the error in society that involves powerful men sexually harassing women. Sexual harassment training has been suggested as one of the strategies for curbing sexual misconduct among members of Congress (Niedzwiadek, 2021). While Reed supports anti-sexual harassment campaigns, his own conduct remains questionable.
References
Andersen, M., & Witham, D. H. (2011). Thinking about women: Sociological perspectives on sex and gender (9th ed.). Allyn & Bacon.
Objective discussion of sexual harassment and mishandling of assaulters
Sexual harassment and mishandling of assaulters have become common especially in the modern world. The cases are being reported among individuals of diverse cultural settings and college students. The vice has been in the increase among these groups of people due to the acute moral decay and inconsistent adherence to ethical principles that foster social integration (Kingkade, 2013). This explains why tough measures or rules are being adopted in colleges purposely to curb the rising cases of sexual harassment, especially between students and lecturers. The tough rules that are set with the objective of restoring sanity among stakeholders have made college officials be accused of mishandling sexual assaulters. This is evident since the rules propose tough measures to sexual assaulters whether they are students or staff members. The measures include express termination, revocation of staff member status or studentship, and heavy fines including jail terms. According to Loeb (2013), the measures have been developed in various settings including colleges to ensure that sanity prevails among citizens. Their aim is to ensure that citizens are able to embrace each other in a respectful manner.
Various perspectives on the issue and logical framework
Indeed, sexual harassment is a criminal activity that is impeding social and economic integration in most settings. It requires mitigation through the adoption of conventional measures that are legally enforceable. This is important since the crime exposes victims to severe effects that compromise their performance. Notably, it is true that most students in many colleges have been victims of sexual harassment from teachers and fellow learners (Gleiser, 2011). It is also true that the assaulters are being mishandled as reported in some literature because of the stringent nature of the punishment that they are subjected to. However, stringent measures are aimed at curbing the spread of sexual victimization. They can be deemed negatively but they form part of the solutions to sexual harassment that is ailing development in our societies. Therefore, it is prudent for individuals not to view the enforceability of the measures as mishandling of sexual assaulters.
Personal stand with reference to the topic
Ideally, it is important and necessary for colleges to develop stringent measures to curb the rising cases of sexual harassment among students and lecturers. The measures that include the jailing of assaulters, relieving them of their duties among others are credible control measures (Karmen, 2013). The measures should be viewed positively and not as coercive in any nature. That is they should not be deemed as measures to mishandle sexual assaulters. Notably, the measures are fair in consideration of the criminal nature of sexual offenses that present far-reaching effects that compromise an individual’s performance. Therefore, the only way to restore sanity and ensure holistic mitigation of sexual harassment is through the imposition of tough rules.
Conclusion
Indeed, the introduction of stringent measures and punishment for sexual offenders has been instrumental in restoring sanity in most colleges. The measures have enhanced the safety of vulnerable individuals in colleges such as women by ensuring systematic eradication of sexual harassment that has been impeding social integration and understanding among students. Despite the nobleness of the measures, they have subjected some of the assaulters in colleges to immense mistreatment. This justifies the reason why critics of the control measures think that they lead to the mishandling of the assaulters. However, this reasoning is considered flawed especially in modern times since sexual assault remains a horrific ordeal that presents far-reaching effects to victims.
References
Gleiser, M. (2011). Globalization: Two Visions of the Future of Humanity. Web.
Sexual harassment still persists in Australia 30 years after the enactment of the Sex Discrimination Act in 1984. A survey carried out in 2008 by Sex Discrimination Commissioner revealed 22% of women and 5% of men indicating having been sexually abused at the workplace. Unfortunately, sexual harassment is yet to get a clear definition but is seen as any sexual behavior deemed inappropriate, unwelcome, and unwarranted usually arising where there is no mutual understanding or consent between the two parties. Many of these cases go unreported with exception of the case of David Jones in 2008 that seems to have set a new beginning on the need to expose the culprits. Organizations have a role in curbing the prevalence of sexual harassment by facilitating the implementation of relevant policies. Unfortunately, they only accomplish the first policy and ignore the others. These include: coming up with clear policies on sexual harassment that entails stringent penalties of perpetrators of the offenses with clear measures of what constitutes sexual harassment. Secondly, promote the sensitization process through training and discussion of what sexual harassment means from bottom to top. Thirdly, a strong and independent review process that allows people to report and, actions were taken against perpetrators without fear or favor. Lastly, there is a need to enforce effective actions against sexual perpetrators. Occupation of top positions by women is recommended as one possible way of dealing with sexual harassment in organizations. Women are known to demand respective policies to curb sexual harassment. At national levels, there is a need to lead from the front where top leaders are expected to label it unacceptable behavior punishable under the law.
Sexual harassment in Australia
Sexual harassment in Australia refers to any social interaction that culminates to unwelcome sexual behavior that leaves the affected feeling offended, humiliated, or intimidated. Development of sexual harassment as a human rights activity can be traced back in the post –Cold War period, when there were changes on what was viewed as human rights violation. Before then, human rights activism focused on lack of freedom of expression, unfair trials and mistreatment of prisoners as what constitutes to human rights activities. Post-cold War activisms have included those forms of oppression that have received little attention from the government policies (Rodio et al., 2010). For example, in 2004, Amnesty International started a campaign of ‘Stop Violence Against Women’ with early reports focusing on women as victims of traditional human rights violation. Through support of the states, subsequent campaigns have been centered on violations against women among them elimination of sexual harassment.
Policies, for example, the Sex Discrimination Act of 1984 exist to curb instances of sexual harassment. Despite declaring sexual harassment unlawful in the Australian society it still persists 25 years after its enactment. One of the challenges has been on what really constitute to ‘sexual harassment’. Its signs are varying from staring, unwelcome touching, suggestive comments, insults, to inappropriate advances. In 2008, the commission on Human Rights submitted recommendations on sexual harassment practice in Australia. Among the recommendations was redefining sexual harassment to incorporate protection for students and workers. Surveys on sexual harassment in Australia note that many citizens lack the understanding of what constitutes sexual harassment. One of the study in 2003, showed 22% of the respondents indicating having not abused sexually, only to report experiencing behaviors’ which amount to sexual harassment.
The Australian Sex Discrimination Act outlaws sexual harassment in working places, and in educational institutions. Unfortunately, most of the sexual complaints reported at the commission were those committed at workplace. In 2009 –2010, the commission received 21% of the complaints on sexual harassment, out of which 88% were committed at the workplace. This continues to be a challenge in making working places safe for women as they are primarily the targets. Research shows women being four times more likely to experience sexual harassment at the workplace than men with majority of the cases involving a male perpetrator against a female target. The 2008 survey found that 22% of women and 5% of men had undergone some form of sexual harassment while working. Although this was a considerably reduced figures compared to 28% of women and 7% of men in 2003, the percentages are still high and thus unfavorable for women participation in development. The fact that the vice is committed by the co-workers, either at the same level or more senior positions complicates the reporting process. Half the targets in the above study reported their perpetrators being co-workers. A further 11% said their perpetrator was in a more senior position than the affected with 17% saying their harasser was a supervisor, manager or employer. It is already noted that sexual harassment is unlawful, but ironically, majority of sexual harassment goes unreported to relevant bodies. Only 16% of those sexually abused had launched a formal complaint, compared to 32% in 2003. There are a number of reasons cited by those who did not make a formal complaint. They include: 43% noting that it was not serious enough to be reported, 15% feared the negative impact on their image, 21% lacked faith in the laid down complaint procedures, and 29% provided solution to the problem themselves. Some of the recommendations that the Australian government has to put in place include:
Amendments on the Sex Discrimination Act to provide wider protection to students and workers, as proposed by the Australian Government in its response to the review conducted by the Senate Committee. The definitions of sexual harassment to be expanded and clear guidelines under which sexual offences are declared unlawful therefore punishable.
Strengthening the powers of the Sex Discrimination Commissioner by giving the Sex Discrimination Act powers to initiate investigations for sexual harassment in Australian workplaces without requiring a formal application in form of a complaint.
Developing a national Sexual Harassment Prevention Strategy to guide all employers and workers in understanding their rights and responsibilities in regards to sexual harassment with a focus on prevention and education. There is a need to engage with the already established bodies like the Australian Human Rights Commission and Fair Work Australia in sensitizing the citizens.
Employers should be involved in increasing the awareness of sexual harassment and improving the complaint process by making it open and functional.
The Australian government has to strengthen its legal systems to regain trustworthy from the citizens if the war on sexual harassment is to be won.
Discussion questions in class
Sexual harassment has been taken up as a human right issue in many countries including Australia. However, 25 years after the enactment of the relevant act still many cases go unreported. What are some of the strategies that the Australian government can come up with to reverse this trend?
Women in Australia seem to bear the blunt of sexual harassment more than the male counterparts. What are some of the factors that have contributed to this?
References
Rodio, Emily and Schmitz, Hans. 2010. ‘Beyond Norms and Interests: Understanding the Evolution of Transnational Human Rights Activism.’ International Journal of Human Rights 14(3): 442-459.
Pam’s shoulder massage from Britt is an ambiguous and dubious act. United States law considers this and refers to Pam using the word sweetie as sexual harassment. During this ambiguous interaction, several distinctive elements of sexual harassment took place. These include intentional physical contact with squeezing and the use of terms of endearment directed at the coworker (Sexual harassment, n.d.). The word sweetie certainly belongs to “terms of endearment” as it is a synonym for such appeals as “honey” and “sweetheart” (Sexual harassment, n.d., para. 8). Sexual harassment occurs not only between workers of different hierarchical positions but also between employees of similar ranks (Sexual harassment, n.d.). Considering Pam’s distressed reaction and that no other context was provided, such as her supervisor’s thoughts, Britt’s actions can rightfully be interpreted as those with intimate intent, namely sexual harassment.
I would change my mind if the supervisor did not mean anything sexual while massaging her colleague’s shoulders. In that case, I would perceive it as an unsuccessful and awkward attempt to help a friend to relieve work stress. Still, this action and informal way of addressing Pam not only does not fit the workplace culture but also is unpleasant for her and, therefore, should be avoided. Since the two are friends, the first step Pam needs to take to prevent further similar interactions with Britt is to discuss why his moves makes her feel nervous and uncomfortable and should be stopped. Pam could use the argument that since Britt’s her supervisor, he is like an older brother to her. Bible prescribes those who are older to treat “younger women as sisters, with absolute purity” (Holy Bible, new international version, NIV, 1973/2011, 1 Timothy 5:2). If friendly dialogue does not solve the problem, then she should seek protection from those who are hierarchically higher in the mental health facility.
If I witnessed distressed Pam being massaged by her supervisor, I would try to hint at him politely that she feels discomfort or convince him that I need Pam to help me and we should go. Decoupling the harasser from the victim is the key to stopping an ongoing sexual harassment (Segal, 2021). I do not know their current relationship status, so both could misunderstand the straightforward defensive attitude. In the place of another supervisor, I would ask him to come with me, and I would inform him of the wrongness of his behavior.
Wuensch and Moore (2004) acknowledge the positive perception of physically attractive individuals in the society. Additionally, attractive people tend to be treated better compared to those who are not attractive. Wuensch and Moore (2004) argue that unattractive offenders who rape attractive women are more likely to be perceived as guilty. The authors provide an example of a stimulated sexual harassment research undertaken in 1990. In reference to the research, cases involving unattractive perpetrators were more likely to have guilty rulings (Odds ratio= 2.5) compared to those with attractive offenders.
The authors also acknowledge that such trends are disturbing as the perception of the mock jurors is likely to affect their judgement on sexual harassment cases. As a result, these jurors are likely to infer that attractive offenders have other interesting features, and hence less likely to participate in criminal activities. Wuensch and Moore (2004) presented the aforementioned research study to university students and requested them to explain the actions of the jurors.
One of the most repeated responses from the students was that attractive men are incapable of harassing women. It was clear from the responses that the students thought that sexual desire was a predisposing factor to harassment. Based on findings from past research, this study sought to investigate the impact of juror’s gender, and the attractiveness of the offender on the verdict in a civil case. Specifically, this case involved an alleged sexual harassment of a male worker by his female boss.
Methods
Wuensch and Moore (2004) selected 324 students from an undergraduate psychology class. Majority (78%) of the students were Caucasian. Other races that were represented included; African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans. The average age of the respondents was19.5 years. The subjects were required sign an informed consent prior to participation, and the researchers emphasized on the fictional nature of the study.
According to the authors, a 2 x 2 x 2 research design was applied in the study. There were three independent variables assessed in the research; gender, attractiveness of the offender, and attractiveness of the accuser. The dependent variables included; the judgement and the participant’s admission of guilt. Wuensch and Moore (2004) classified the subjects into groups (10 to 40 students) and gave summaries of the plaintiff’s testimony and their photographs, a summary of the trial, and a respondent’s response form. Based on the case summary and the resources given, the students were asked to indicate what their verdict was (yes or no). Their verdict was listed on a 9-point scale that ranged from not guilty to certainly guilty
Results
The participants rated the attractive versions of the perpetrator and the plaintiff better than the unattractive versions. Wuensch and Moore (2004) used the logit analysis to investigate the effects of the gender of the juror and the appeal of the complainant and perpetrator on the judgement passed by the mock jurors. The results showed that guilty rulings were more (77%) when the accuser was attractive than unattractive (63%).
The odds ratio for this analysis was 1.92 and the p-value was statistically significant. According to Wuensch and Moore (2004) female jurors more likely to pass guilty rulings (odds ratio= 1.5). The results also showed that that male judges were more likely to pass a guilty ruling when the offender was sexually appealing (odds ratio=2.7). Lastly, Wuensch and Moore (2004) analyzed the impact of the attractiveness of the accuser and offender on the certainty of the judgement given. A 3-way factorial ANOVA revealed that the certainty of the ruling was higher when the accuser was attractive (p=0.000).
Discussion and conclusion
According to Wuensch and Moore (2004), the physical appeal of the complainant was the most significant factor in the study. Based on the findings, when the female complainant was appealing, the jurors were more likely (Odds ratio=2) to pass a guilty verdict and were more confident about their decision.
The authors note that their findings are similar to the research undertaken in 1990. Generally, the jurors in the current study did not seem to support the view that a female boss would harass an unattractive male worker. Additionally, Wuensch and Moore (2004) report that the gender of the juror and the attractiveness of the offender acted as effect modifiers in the relationship between the accuser’s appeal and the final verdict. The authors speculate that female jurors are likely to pass a guilty verdict if the female offender is not attractive. Specifically, they might think of the unattractive female offender as being sexually frustrated.
In conclusion, the research recognizes that sexual harassment cases majorly involve males as the offenders. In addition, female jurors are more likely to rule in favor of the female victims, as they would identify with their own sex. In the case of the current research, male jurors only passed a guilty verdict when the female offender and the male complainant were both attractive. Furthermore, the attractiveness of the complainants significantly affected the judgements of the female jurors when the offender was unattractive. In the case of the male jurors, the complainant’s attractiveness affected their judgment when the offender was attractive.
Wuensch and Moore (2004) also conclude that female jurors were more likely to pass a guilty verdict in the sexual harassment case only when the accusers had different levels of attractiveness compared to their male counterparts.
Reference
Wuensch, K. L., & Moore, C. H. (2004). Effects of physical attractiveness on evaluations of a male employee’s allegation of sexual harassment by his female employer. The Journal of Social Psychology, 144(2), 207-217. Web.
From time immemorial, men and women have been engaged in an endless game of tug of war against each other. It’s the proverbial battle of the sexes. Even after centuries of co- existence, men and women don’t seem be to be getting along any better than their ancestors did and are constantly at loggerheads with each other. Indeed, it is often said that men are from Mars while women are from Venus. This statement rings ever so true especially with regards to matters of sexuality.
Main body
Women the world over continually argue that men disrespect them and view them as mere sexual objects. They claim that all women have at one point or another been victims of sexual harassment perpetrated by men and that this should be a punishable offence much in the same way that rape and defilement is. But, what is this term “sexual harassment” that women seem to love bandying around with reckless abandon? According to the Women’s Centre of the University of Virginia, sexual harassment is any form of inappropriate behavior which includes requests for sexual favors, unwelcome sexual advances, other physical and verbal conduct, or written communications of a sexual nature.
However, looking at the above definition, doesn’t this term seem a little too broad and way too vague? The term “inappropriate”, for instance, is a very subjective term and can mean different things to different people. How is one meant to decide what is inappropriate behavior and what is appropriate behavior? Different people were brought up in different environments where a divergent set of values was passed on to them. As such, boys were taught how to talk to and treat women differently.
As the BBC Caribbean (2008) posits, some men do not see such terms of endearment like “honey”, “babes” and “sweetie” as being a form of disrespect or sexual harassment yet women are always up in arms whenever they are referred to in such ways.
This matter was brought to the light recently during Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama’s campaign trail. He referred to a reporter as “sweetie” and caused much uproar with some accusing him of sexism and even sexual harassment (BBC Caribbean, 2008). This accusation was absurd and only goes to prove that some claims of sexual harassment are petty and hold no weight all. How can a term of endearment be a sign of disrespect? Can’t a man show appreciation to a woman or innocent affection without his every move being misconstrued as sexual harassment?
The strange thing about this state of affairs is that the same women who complain about such terms of endearment cringe when referred to by more respectful terms like “ma’am” “madam” or “missus” (Boston Globe, 2008). If you ever try to refer to your average young or middle aged woman as madam, you are very likely to receive a cold shoulder or even worse, a verbal lashing from her with her waxing lyrical about how she is supposed to be referred to by her real name. This may be so but in situations when one does not know a woman’s name, how can calling her “dear” be wrong? What exactly do women want? In my opinion, these terms are very polite and espouse a woman’s femininity in a positive way and thus men who use them should be encouraged to continue doing so as opposed to being accused of sexual harassment.
Does sexual harassment really exist? That’s the bone of contention for many. In my opinion, it only exists in the minds of paranoid women and attention seekers. Sexual harassment can be seen as something that only happens in the minds of the “victims” but does not necessarily happen in real life. Most men are decent human beings who would never hurt a fly- in fact, men were created with a natural protective instinct. Sexual harassment is thus not in tandem with this innate instinct. Most claims of sexual harassment are as a result of feminist rhetoric as opposed to actual facts on the ground (Edwards, 2008).
As touched on earlier, the term sexual harassment is too general. In fact, if we are to go by that definition, virtually all actions by men against women would thus be described as sexual harassment since opposites attract and sparks are bound to fly between the two sexes. It is obviously ludicrous to generalize sexual harassment and it just makes men vulnerable to manipulation by women. Between the continuum of “being made to feel uncomfortable” and “actual sexual harassment or violence”, there is a wide range of activity between men and women that can be described as sexual harassment but these activities turn out to be innocent. For instance, if a man innocently smiles at a woman, at what point can that smile be seen to be sexual harassment or not and, in any case, how would such a woman prove this in a court of law?
Sexual harassment is a very dicey topic since it is often squarely based merely on conceptions as opposed to reality. Consequently, many innocent men have ended up being wrongly accused for crimes they did not even commit. Edwards (2008) gives an example of how out of hand sexual harassment accusations can get. He gave the example of where, in 1992, the Master of Ormond College at the University of Melbourne allegedly placed his hand on the breast of a student while dancing together during a drunken student party at her own invitation. He was sentenced to jail for the offence and was only saved from a sentence after going through a protracted court appeal. What this example shows is that a lot of men are being victimized for actions they committed with a woman’s full consent.
In addition, if a man rejects a woman’s romantic proposal, she may decide to seek vengeance by falsely accusing him of sexual harassment. As we all know, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Many women will seek revenge against a man who has turned down her invitation for a relationship. This is very common and many men find themselves on the wrong side of the law simply because a woman who he was not interested in felt humiliated thus sought revenge.
The sad bit is that courts often rule in favor of women without hearing both sides of the tale. As a result, many men are living in misery, either paying hefty fines or spending time in jail, all because of this ambiguous term called sexual harassment.
However, having said all that, sexual harassment does occur in a few cases. Nevertheless, in the rare instances that it does happen, it was actually brought about solely by the woman’s actions. One such action is her mode of dressing (Nairaland, 2005). A real lady dresses decently and with class and consequently, such a woman will never be sexually harassed. However, there are certain women who dress very suggestively with the prime motive of attracting male attention.
How would you otherwise explain a situation where a woman wears a micro- mini skirt together with a small sleeveless top showing off a bursting cleavage in the middle of winter? Granted, most of them will argue that they dress this way as an expression of their individualistic fashion sense but can’t they express their fashion sense while at the same time covering up their private body parts? This argument is grossly dishonest and a mere smokescreen for their ulterior motives. Women who dress scantily simply want to get attention from men and thus their complaints about harassment are merely face saving actions. If a woman does not want a man to make any sexual advances towards her, she should simply dress decently otherwise indecent dressing is a clear invitation for all sorts of sexual advances and actions on the mans part (Bernama, 2007).
Moreover, indecent dressing by women is actually reverse sexual harassment- it is harassment by women against men. Biologically and physiologically, men are visual beings (Hourly Laff, 2007). This fact has been proven scientifically. They are easily turned on by women especially if the woman is showing arousing parts of her anatomy. As long as a woman is dressed in a way that stimulates their visual senses, men will always be distracted and excited by a woman. There is no way that a normal, red- blooded heterosexual man will see a woman in a mini skirt and fail to respond. In some cases, this response takes the form of ogling or whistling- it’s a natural response and is very hard to suppress.
As such, indecently dressed women only have themselves to blame when a man shows sexual interest in her. If she truly dislikes the attention, all she has to do is dress more decently and she will be safe from sexual harassment. The truth is, sexual harassment only happens to certain types of women- those with loose morals. As long as a woman is respectable, no guy in his right mind would ever dream of sexually harassing a woman.
Body language is another action that invites sexual harassment upon women (Fast, 2007). There are certain actions women do that betray their seduction attempts. These include actions such as: batting ones eyelashes suggestively; licking one’s lips slowly; crossing and uncrossing one’s legs while seated down; playing with one’s hair; and so on. These are actions women do when they want to seduce a man and thus, if a man responds to these obvious invitations, how can he then be accused of sexual harassment?
In such a scenario, the woman’s body language is evidently “calling” the man and the man simply responds in kind. To avert such “unwanted” sexual overtures, women should simply ensure that their body language conveys what they want it to convey. Taking control of the signs your body is giving is imperative if a woman wants to prevent sexual harassment. Otherwise, any attention she gets is primarily her fault and she should thus deal with the repercussions of her overt actions.
Flirting is yet another way in which women cause sexual harassment (TMZ, 2008). Some women are habitual flirters and love to engage in conversations with men that are laced with sexual innuendo. While most girls will claim that the flirting is harmless, how do they expect the man to know this? If your chatter is full of sexual overtures, a man will simply believe that you want to have sex with him. As a result, he will respond in the way he deems appropriate for the situation you have created. This may include caressing you, grabbing/ pinching your bottom, kissing you, and so on. This should be expected since it is the girl who initially set off the motion that is now in place.
Foul mouthed women who use vulgar or suggestive language only have themselves to blame if they become “victims” of sexual harassment. To prevent this supposed sexual harassment from occurring, women’s language should always be free from innuendo and always be forthright. This will prevent men from misreading the language and hence sexual harassment will not occur.
In addition, female victims of sexual harassment are to blame for what they experience because of the areas they frequent. Places like clubs, bars and strip joints are inappropriate places for decent women to frequent. Any woman who enjoys going to such places is of loose morals and cannot be trusted. In fact, unless one is a prostitute, how can they explain going to places which are male- dominated. The men who go to clubs go for only two things- alcohol and sex- and women know it.
That is precisely why they go there in the first place because they know that they can find men who are willing to pay for sex. They thus go to these places because it is the perfect hunting ground for them. In clubs, anything can happen. People go there to unwind and find people with whom they can indulge their every fantasies. If this is so, how can any right- thinking woman expect to be treated with respect when, in effect, she has willingly placed herself in the lion’s den? As long as one is in such a place, they should expect various actions of a sexual nature to occur. Women should thus not complain of sexual harassment when in such places because it is the order of the day and part of the accepted culture.
Apart from just acknowledging that women actually are to blame for sexual harassment, it is important to note that men too suffer from sexual harassment and in these cases, it is not self- inflicted. Women always play the victim yet in reality men are often greater victims since women know that they can get away with sexual harassment while men generally can not.
As expounded on by The Observer (2006), a UK government study revealed that a hidden world of sexual harassment against men has slowly developed in the UK where female managers exploit their power over male employees by sexually harassing them. In such cases, the men are forced to give in to the demands since failing to do so may result in the loss of their jobs. The same report revealed that eight per cent of men had formally complained of sexual harassment. This figure in actuality simply reflects the tip of the iceberg and many more suffer in silence since they feel too embarrassed to make complaints.
Conclusion
In nutshell, sexual harassment is a mere figment of the imagination in the minds of overly creative and paranoid feminists. I put it that, three quarters of the time, sexual harassment doesn’t even happen. In the few times that it does happen, women are exclusively to blame. In a world that espouses freedom of speech, men should be allowed to compliment women in whichever manner they deem fit. If the women can’t beat us, they should simply join us in enjoying and appreciating the pleasures only this world can surely bring.