Buzz…Buzz…!!!
Have you ever make sexual joke about your friend?
Have you ever whistle-flirt someone?
If you have, then be more careful next time because it may be an act of sexual harassment. Interestingly, some people harassed others simply because they weren’t knowledgeable of what sexual harassmentwas all about. Some even think that it was part of daily life and even culture. Are you one of them?
So what is sexual harassment? As Dziech and Boland described that sexual harassment is harassment or unwelcome attention of a sexualnature. It includes a range of behavior from mild transgressions and annoyances to serious abuses, which caneven involve forced sexual activity. (1990 and 2002 cited in Wikipedia, 2007). So sexual harassment can rangeunwelcome sexual advances from verbal to physical conduct. So even slight touch or joke can be sexualharassment if they were unwelcomed.
Types of Sexual Harassment
One of the most representative explanations about types of sexual harassment came from Dziech and Prekel (1990). They categorized types of sexual harassment into the following list (cited in Wikipedia, 2007):
1. Power-player (quid pro quo) the harasser insists on sexual favors in exchange for benefits they can dispense because of their position in the hierarchy: getting or keeping a job, favorable grades
2. Mother/Father Figure (a.k.a. The Counselor-Helper) this harasser will try to create a mentor-like relationshipwith their target, all the while masking their sexual intentions. This is a common method of teachers whosexually harass students.
3. One-of-the-Gang harassment occurs when groups of men or women embarrass others with lewd comments,physical evaluations, or other unwanted sexual attention.
4. Serial Harasser This type carefully builds up an image so that people would find it hard to believe they would doanyone any harm.
5. Groper Whenever the opportunity presents itself, this harasser's eyes and hands begin to wander.
6. Opportunist uses physical settings and circumstances, or infrequently occurring opportunities, to mask premeditated or intentional sexual behavior towards a target.
7. Bully In this case, sexual harassment is used to punish the victim for some transgression, such as rejection of the harasser's interest or advances, or making the harasser feel insecure about themselves or their abilities.
8. Confidante this type of harasser approaches the subordinate, or student, as an equal or a friend, inventingstories to win admiration and sympathy, and inviting the subordinate to share theirs so as to make them feel valued and trusted. Soon the relationship moves into an intimate domain from which the subordinate finds it difficult to separate
How to Protect Yourself and People You Love
Now that you’ve known what sexual harassment is protect yourself and people you care about by doing the following actions (I took this from the sources below, but I forgot which one) :
1. Keep a record of what happened and when. Include dates, times, places, names of persons involved,witnesses, and who said what to whom. Keep this journal in a very safe place.
2. Write a note to the harasser. Describe the incident and how it made you feel. State that you would like the harassment to stop. Send the letter by certified mail. Keep a copy.
3. Tell someone that you trust most and are willing to help you. It can be your friend, your supervisor, and even your lecturer.
4. What if you’re retaliated against? Don’t put up with it. If this happens, document it in your journal, and goback to whomever you spoke to the first time and report the retaliation. Continue to do so for as long as it continues.
5. Ok, you’ve kept a journal, you’ve reported any further incidents of harassment and retaliation, you’ve repeatedly told the harasser to stop, but nothing is improving. At this point you can legally sue the harasser using the journals, evidences, and witness that support your position.
Don’t be Afraid
Now that you’ve known what sexual harassment is the next most important thing is not to be afraid to take actions and of course don’t harass others.
Thank You and May God Bless You
Additional information can be accessed from:
http://www.eeoc.gov/facts/fs-sex.html, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_harassment, http://pc.brooklyn.cuny.edu/SEXHARS.HTM,http://www.de2.psu.edu/harassment/generalinfo/background.html, http://www.gseis.ucla.edu/ccs/digests/DIG9609.HTML,http://www.now.org/issues/harass/030206aauwreport.html, http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/sexual-harassment/,http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/pediatrics;106/6/1498, http://www.nolo.com/article.cfm/objectID/7440C7F8-0B89-46E4-A1DE73FE99AA61E0/111/259/283/ART/, http://uwadmnweb.uwyo.edu/EmploymentPractices/guidelines_to_prevent_sexual_har.htm,http://www.dotcr.ost.dot.gov/Documents/complaint/Preventing_Sexual_Harassment.htm,http://www.genderdiversity.cgiar.org/inclusiveworkplace/dignity/harassment/victimguideharass.htm,http://www.authorsden.com/visit/viewarticle.asp?id=21536&AuthorID=32186,
