how to stop sexual harassment essay

Essay on Sexual Harassment

500 words essay on sexual harassment.

Sexual harassment refers to any form of unwelcome sexual behaviour which is offensive, humiliating and intimidating. Further, it is against the law to sexually harass anyone. Over the years, sexual harassment has taken a lot of time to be recognized as a real issue. Nonetheless, it is a start that can protect people from this harassment. The essay on sexual harassment will take you through the details.

Sexual Harassment and Its Impacts

Sexual harassment comes in many forms and not just a single one. It includes when someone tries to touch, grab or make other physical contacts with you without your consent. Further, it also includes passing comments which have a sexual meaning.

After that, it is also when someone asks you for sexual favours. Leering and staring continuously also counts as one. You are being sexually harassed when the perpetrator displays rude and offensive material so that others can see it.

Another form is making sexual gestures towards you and cracking sexual jokes or comments towards you. It is also not acceptable for someone to question you about your sexual life or insult you with sexual comments.

Further, making an obscene phone call or indecently exposing oneself also counts as sexual harassment. Sexual harassment can impact a person severely. It may stress out the victim and they may suffer from anxiety or depression.

Moreover, it can also cause them to withdraw from social situations. After that, the victim also starts to lose confidence and self-esteem. There may also be physical symptoms like headaches, sleep problems and being not able to concentrate or be productive.

What Can We Do

No one in this world deserves to go through sexual harassment, whether man or woman. We all have the right to live freely without being harassed, bullied or discriminated against. It is the reason why sexual harassment is illegal.

To begin with, the person may try talking to the offender and convey their message regarding their unwanted behaviour. Further, it is also essential to stay informed about this issue. Make sure to learn about the policies and procedures regarding sexual harassment in your workplace, school or university.

Further, try to document everything to help you remember the name of the offenders and the incidents. Similarly, make sure to save any evidence you get which will help with your complaint. For instance, keeping the text messages, emails, photos or more.

Most importantly, always try to get external information and advice from people who will help you if you decide to file a lawsuit. Likewise, never deal with it on your own and share it with someone you trust to lighten your load.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Conclusion of the Essay on Sexual Harassment

To conclude, sexual harassment is a very real issue that went unnoticed for a long period of time, but not anymore. It is essential for all of us to take measures to prevent it from happening as it damages the life of the victim severely. Thus, make sure you help out those who are suffering from sexual harassment and make the perpetrator accountable.

FAQ of Essay on Sexual Harassment

Question 1: What are the effects of sexual harassment?

Answer 1: Sexual harassment has major effects on the victim like suffering from significant psychological effects which include anxiety, depression , headaches, sleep disorders, lowered self-esteem, sexual dysfunction and more.

Question 2: How do you tell if someone is sexually harassing you?

Answer 2: It is essential to notice the signs if you feel someone is sexually harassing you. The most important sign is if you feel uncomfortable and experience any unwanted physical contact. If your ‘no’ does not have an impact and you’re being subjected to sexual jokes, you are being sexually harassed.

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A Solution to Stopping Sexual Harassment

Is there a case for the re-education of men.

Posted January 5, 2018 | Reviewed by Ekua Hagan

When I was a consultant at a large corporation, the head of the company ran his hands through my hair and laughed when I yelled at him. A homeless guy grabbed my bum and when I shouted, “Hey, you can’t do that!” he turned around and apologized. On the metro in Paris, when men wrapped their hands over mine on the pole and pressed their nether regions into me, I’ve ground a high heel onto the top of their foot. I’ve escaped rape five times in five different ways. There isn’t a single woman who doesn’t have a similar story of rape escape, an unwanted hug, a secret, or obvious grope — or a time when she wasn’t so fortunate.

There have been dozens of times when I haven’t stood or spoken up, when I didn’t evade that unwanted kiss. Last week, for example. I was attended an event where 100+ media reporters and producers congregated to hear pitches for pieces or shows. At the end of the last day, I got in line to share my 2.5-minute idea with a producer of a national TV show. When I told him about my True Shield: Verbal Self-Defense for Girls course and that I was a black belt in the Japanese martial art of Aikido, he exclaimed, “Ooooh, that makes you even sexier than you already are! I love powerful women.” I was mid-way through my time. He was keen on my idea for a future show. I shut my mouth shut and stepped back.

Like thousands of women before me, I made a judgment call. I could educate, retaliate, or do nothing. I chose to do nothing. Why? Because I wouldn’t have to work with this guy in the future so it wasn’t worth it to me to take the time to educate him.

I want to say, that there is a place for education , compassion, and consequences in all of the #MeToo-ness we’ve been experiencing. Had we been in the workplace together, I might have said what my best male friend, who is a commissioner in the courts of Los Angeles recommended: “I’m so glad that you gave me the opportunity to practice verbal self-defense right now.” Or, “What you just said is exactly the thing I’m talking about preventing. In the future, please don’t comment on what type of women you like when we’re having a professional conversation. Can we agree on that going forward?”

I might also have taken the time to educate him on his impropriety by doing three things.

Naming the offending behavior.
Letting him know the words and behavior I expect from him in the future.
Getting his agreement on his future conduct toward me.

Here are the 7 steps I recommend as a starting point to stop sexual harassment.

Pay attention to your boundaries . Notice if someone consistently gets too close and create distance. Awareness of physical boundaries, as well as your surroundings, can head off an unwanted encounter before it happens.

Keep discussion about another person’s intent out of it when addressing unwanted or uninvited communication or contact. That way, you derail any unnecessary or distracting disagreement about feelings, judgments, or assumptions. Because the person's intent is not the issue, the impact of the person's behavior on you is the important point.

Communicate verbally or physically (or both) exactly what you want. This can mean using the (slightly painful) pinky grab to peel an arm off of your shoulder. A non-verbal message in the form of a look of pain or confusion can sometimes be more powerful than words.

State the behavior you expect going forward.

Reiterate your agreement about behavior and communication if, in the future, it’s forgotten or disrespected.

Take the issue to HR if the behavior doesn’t change per your repeated request. I love the idea of women meeting monthly to discuss between them any unwanted touch or comments so they can nip the behavior in the bud and take appropriate action. And since HR can’t be impartial …

Have a separate, unbiased party that decides the seriousness of the harassment and the outcome. i.e. education/training, suspension or firing, like the policies these women tomato pickers got implemented to protect them against predators in the fields. To be effective in stamping out sexual abuse , “The consequences for behavior that crosses the line, … had to be swift and visible to all.”

Because here’s the thing: Relationships between men and women can be clear cut or nuanced. There’s no question that someone in power masturbating in front of you is gross misconduct. But there are thousands of variations of slightly inappropriate to extremely inappropriate behavior that we women deal with every single day in and out of the workplace.

Most of the women I know feel very uncomfortable speaking up — even when their livelihood isn’t on the line. As outspoken as I am, I’m one of them. Though I’m a media trainer and have worked with thousands of people helping them to speak their minds, stand their ground and share their vision, it’s not that easy.

Right now the culture, laws, and policies are not protecting us. So, during this transition, where the current legal and corporate structures are being examined and revised, we girls and women need to start standing and speaking up to any words or behavior that make us uncomfortable. It’s not easy to do because most of us have little practice doing it.

What do I recommend? Person-to-person role-play in a safe environment where women have the opportunity, in a woman only environment, to practice verbal and physical self-defense in the most difficult and dangerous situations. This “practice” will ingrain into mental and muscle memory the words and actions women can take in the moment, on the spot.

When I talked to PE teachers in Marin County about implementing such a program for their teens they asked, “How long will it take for girls to learn this?”

I responded, “How long will it take to be able to shoot a basket and make it?”

Practice. Tweak. Practice. Try something new. Practice. If we’ve never done something before, how can we expect to be instantly good at it?

Is there a case for the re-education of men? Even asking this question may anger many. I know it makes me mad.

When I talked to the CEO of the largest women’s self-defense organization in the country she said that the number one question women ask when enrolling themselves or their daughters in their courses is, “Why is no one teaching a class to boys/men on not to rape?” I know that there are a few organizations making headway . But not enough.

You may ask, “Why is this my job?” Or, “Why weren’t they taught this growing up?” Or, “This should be common sense.” Yes. And we need to deal with what is, not what we hope the future will bring without our input.

Or, in the words of Senator Al Franken, “Over the last few months, all of us—including and especially men who respect women—have been forced to take a good, hard look at our own actions and think (perhaps, shamefully, for the first time) about how those actions have affected women.” Indeed. Shame on them.

But let’s use some common sense here when defining how we’re going to deal with sexual misconduct in all its forms. Punishing immature behavior like the Al Franken fake boob grope does not deserve the same reprisal as Roy Moore or Harvey Weinstein’s conduct. Let’s not use a sledgehammer to smite an ant or it weakens the very cause we’ve worked so hard to bring to the forefront.

I’m advocating that each one of us, men and women alike, take personal responsibility for our thoughts, beliefs and actions — regardless of the law. Do I want the laws to protect us women? Of course. Do I think that’s likely? Not really.

I think that the legislature, laws and policies can support our personal actions and choices and help bring perpetrators to justice, discipline those whose haven’t responded to reprimands, and serve as a call to better behavior for those who are walking the line. Eventually.

For the past 28 years, Susan has been the brains + heart behind Harrow Communications, a media coaching + marketing agency based in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Susan Harrow is the author of Sell Yourself Without Selling Your Soul .

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Sexual Harassment and how to Stop it

How it works

1 Background Information
2 Statistics
4 Athletes and Sexual Harassment
5 Politicians and Sexual Harassment
6 Sexual harassment in Hollywood
7 Sexual harassment on College campuses
8 Sexual harassment in Public
9 Conclusion

Background Information

Sexual harassment is sexual discrimination that violates Title 7 of the civil rights act of 1964. This title is for employers with more than 15 employees, which also includes state and local governments, employment agencies as well as the federal government. Sexual harassment is the unwanted sexual advances, requests for sexual favors as well as verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature. Sexual harassment occurs in many of ways, such as: (1) “the victim as well as the harasser may be a woman or a man.

The victim does not have to be of the opposite sex.” (2) “the harraser can be the victim’s supervisor, and agent of the employer, a supervisor in another area, a co-worker, or a non-employee.” (3) “The victim does not have to be the person harassed but could be anyone affected by the offensive conduct.” (4) “unlawful seual harassment may occur with economic injury to or discharge of the victim.” (5) “the harasser’s conduct must be unwelcome.” (Facts About Sexual Harassment)

The victim can inform the harasser directly about their conduct and that is needs to stop. The victim also needs to any form of employer complaint department or the law should that not work. Prevention is a very good tool to eliminate sexual harassment at work. Employers should take the necessary steps to keep this from occurring. Employers also need to make it clear that sexual harassment will not be tolerated in the work place. In order to accomplish this they can provide specific sexual harassment seminars for their employees and also to establish complaint departments as well as taking quick and accurate punishment when an employee has a complaint.

Majority of sexual harassment victims are women. They either experience it first hand or know someone who has been a victim of sexual harassment. As most sexual harassment cases are not surprising, it is nasty and sexual harassment PTSD is very prevalent. Forty-five percent of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Or EEOC, harassment claims were sex- based (Jennifer Koza). In 2015, the EEOC received more than 28,000 harassment claims for private and public employers, which most of this was sex-based claims. Twenty-five percent of women experience sexual harassment in the workplace (Jennifer Koza). That averages out to be 1 out of every 4 women in a workplace. That is very unsettling. Seventy-five percent of harassment victims experienced retaliation when they reported it (Jennifer Koza). Somewhere between eighty-seven and ninety-four percent of employees that experience sexual harassment do not file a formal complaint (Jennifer Koza). Lastly, Sexual harassment cost companies millions of dollars (Jennifer Koza). Also in 2015, The EEOC recovered $164.5 million for workers alleging harassment claims.

One thing stands out in sexual harassment cases, and that is men are the accused. “One of the reasons it is men who harass women, and sometimes other men, is that this is about power and overwhelmingly upper management is male, so the positions of power are disproportionately occupied by men and the bottom is disproportionately occupied by women,” says Abigail Saguy, Professor of sociology and gender studies at UCLA and author of the 2003 book, What is Sexual Harassment?

Most people think that women could not possibly act like disgusting pigs such as men. But this is not one hundred percent the truth. Franklin Raddish, a South Carolina Baptist pastor, recently said that accusations of sexual harassment against men in politics and Hollywood has created a “war on men.”

A democratic candidate, Andrea Ramsey, for congress in Kansas recently dropped out of her race after the local newspaper found her lawsuit. She was accused of sexually assaulting and retaliating against a male who rejected her advances when she was a corporate executive. Although she was not apart of the lawsuit, and it was closed and settled, she dropped out due to the pressure from her democratic party’s “zero tolerance standard” (Maria Puente). She has become the only woman to be accused publicly.

This begs the questions: “ what are the numbers on the women accused of sexual harassment? Has anyone conducted scientific surveys and found some? What’s the reason why it appears the vast majority of people accused of workplace sexual harassment are men? And why don’t men ever file formal complaints? (Maria Puente) The answer is men are too prideful to come forward.

There is few statistics about women sexual harassers, and the ones available are more than 10 years old. Although it may be very rare, it does happen. Men can easily be victims as well as women can be abusers. Many government agencies keep track of complaints in the workplace but mostly focus on the accusers, and not those being accused. The EEOC provided information on allegations. There were 6,758 complaints of sexual harassments in 2016. Sixteen percent of complaints were filed by men. The data doesn’t say who they were harassed by another man, or a woman. Few men reported they experienced unwanted sexual attention, but most of men that did report said they were harassed by women.

Athletes and Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment in sports is unique due to the relationships between athletes and coaches. Athletes and coaches both share a necessary passion for their physique. The international Olympic committee issued a statement in 2007. This report stated: “sexual harassment and abuse happen in all sports and at all levels. Prevalence appears to be higher in elite sport. Members of the athlete’s entourage who are in positions of power and authority appear to be the primary perpetrators. Peer athletes have also been identified as perpetrators. Males are more often reported as perpetrators than females…Research demonstrates that sexual harassment and abuse in sport seriously and negatively impact on athletes’ physical and psychological health. It can result in impaired performance and lead to athlete drop-out. Clinical data indicate that psychosomatic illnesses, anxiety, depression, substance abuse, self harm and suicide are some of the serious health consequences.” (sexual harassment in sport)

Laws regarding sexual harassment need to be extended to sporting activities if they have not already been covered by general laws. These laws should lure general principles for sexual harassment and take account of: The varied environments in which women and girls participate in sport; The fact that sexual harassment can be perpetrated by coaches, other athletes, or other parties involved in supporting and training athletes; and the special power dynamics between athletes and coaches. (Sexual harassment in sport)

Michigan State University and the NCAA are facing problems over actions of a doctor who abused scores of women, as well as athletes who allegedly raped and assaulted others. Both the university and NCAA are accused of “looking the other way.” ESPN led an investigation and found that there were many cases that the university knew of but did very little about these cases. Michigan State also took legal action to keep these cases out of the public eye.

ESPN sued the university after they did not comply with the state’s open record laws and gave a broadcaster with police records that involved football players as well as basketball players. Two well-known coaches, Mark Dantonio of the football team and Tom Izzo of the basketball team, led their teams in the mist of sexual assault allegations against their athletes that were over looked. The schools sexual assault counselor resigned due to her frustration of officials not handling the cases properly. The school gave the athletic department the authority of handling the cases.

Lauren allswede, the schools sexual assault counselor, told ESPN ‘Whatever protocol or policy was in place, whatever front-line staff might normally be involved in response or investigation, it all got kind of swept away and it was handled more by administration [and] athletic department officials, It was all happening behind closed doors … None of it was transparent or included people who would normally be involved in certain decisions’ (Grace Bird).

The NCAA was criticized about the allegations as they were told about the cases involving Michigan State athletes and did nothing to them. The NCAA president, Mark Emmert, received a letter from Kathy Redmond, an advocate for rape and sexual assault victims, begging him to investigate Michigan State’s handling of sexual assault. Kathy stated there were 37 cases of sexual assault committed by athletes at the university that went undisciplined. The president defended himself in a letter to university presidents. He admitted the NCAA still had a long ways to go in preventing sexual assault on campuses, and stated that any claims that he or the NCAA were not reporting crimes were “ blatantly false.”

Politicians and Sexual Harassment

Politicians are also commonly accused of sexual harassment. These are people of high standing in our government. They should be held to a higher standard. Why would we trust them to run our government if they cannot be trusted behind closed doors? Both political parties are combating the current #metoo movement of sexual misconduct.

One hundred and forty political women in California signed a letter that complained about unwanted physical contact and promises, or threats made to them and did not complain about their treatment. Another 160 political women signed a similar letter in Illinois. Also, a female state representative of Arizona came forward with disturbing complaints of unwanted sexual advances and lewd and suggestive comments regarding her body and appearance ever since she was elected in 2011.

These complaints are similar in the facts that if women complained, they wouldn’t get far. One women was told she couldn’t be helped. No one bothered to report their incidents. Women are being doubted in their complaints against their colleagues. These complaints are shrugged off and acted as if they are typical behavior.

Men are now coming forward and saying that protocol needs to be changed. They are proposing for mandatory sexual harassment raining for legislators, staffers, and lobbyists (Helaine olen). There are also proposals for the protocol regarding the reporting and evaluating sexual harassment claims in the political setting.

One way to combat sexual harassment in politics is to elect more women into office. Women only make up twenty percent of congress. The percentage of women in statehouses are dramatically lower. It’s not just a few bad people that allow sexual harassment to continue, it is also how politics is structured, as well as those in charge don’t questions ones behavior until the pressure of others forces them to.

Sexual harassment in Hollywood

Hollywood is the current sexual harassment epicenter. The recent allegations have sparked many victims to come forward and state there claims so they can begin their healing process. Sexual harassers do not act alone. Harvey Weinstein’s sexual assault crimes were widely known across the industry.

Harvey Weinstein had more than 10 years of allegations against him. More than eighty-five women accused him of inappropriate requests for massages and intimidating sexual advances as well as rape. He has denied all allegations.

Women in the film industry are also dominated by men. Behind the camera, only four percent of directors are women, eleven percent of writers are women, and nineteen percent of producers are women. In front of the camera, only thirty percent of speaking characters are women, twenty-eight percent of female actresses wore sexually revealing clothing as opposed to seven percent of men, and twenty-six percent of women actors performed partially naked, while only nine percent of men did.

Sexual harassment on College campuses

Sexual harassment on college campuses is very common and usually goes unreported. Sexual harassment on college campuses fall under the Title IX amendment of 1972. This educational amendment is “ a comprehensive federal civil rights law that prohibits sex discrimination in education” (Know Your Rights). College women are the most effected by sexual harassment.

The most important thing universities can do is have very clearly stated sexual harassment policies. “There’s clearly ambiguity in that arena, so universities should focus on defining what’s acceptable and what’s not” (james campbell). A recent study reveals that graduate and professional students are predominantly vulnerable to sexual harassment from faculty. In the AAU Campus climate survey on sexual assault and sexual misconduct, that polled more than 150,000 students, female graduate students that fell victim to sexual harassment, identified their abusers as teachers or advisors. Undergraduate women are more likely to be harassed by fellow students (zara abrams).

The reason for this epidemic is because of the faculty and advisors position for these graduate students. They are a gateway into their careers once graduated. They are pressured to do whatever it takes to make them happy in order to help them jumpstart their careers. If they do not make these people happy, their careers are in jeopardy.

Students need to know how to see signs of possible sexual harassment and be able to get out of the situation before a true problem arises. Students should have one advisor they can confide in. These advisors can help them decide on whether to file a formal complaint or not. These advisors can also help students confront their abusers.

Students have many options on filing a formal complaint. First, they need to consult the school’s Title IX coordinator. The Title IX coordinator can give them other options as well. Students can also report their incident to local police. Students may not report to police because police officers do not take these complaints seriously. “In some cases, students also qualify for protection under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits workplace sexual harassment in organizations with 15 or more employees. A student who faces harassment or misconduct while completing paid work for the university should file a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), says Ernie Haffner, attorney adviser in the EEOC’s Office of Legal Counsel.” ( Zara Abrams)

Sexual harassment in Public

Sexual harassment in public is also a very common assault. It is often referred to as street harassment. It is known as the unwanted comments, gestures, and actions forced on a strangers in a public place without their consent and is directed at them because of their actual or perceived sex, gender, gender expression, or sexual orientation (street harassment). People are also objectified bas on their race, nationality, religion, and class. Harassment is about power and control over another. Street harassment is a human rights issue as it limits ones ability to be in a public place. The LGBQT community is also restricted due to harassment.

“Street harassment often begins around puberty.

In a 2014, nationally representative survey of street harassment in the USA, half of harassed persons were harassed by age 17.
In an informal international online 2008 study of 811 women conducted by Stop Street Harassment, almost 1 in 4 women had experienced street harassment by age 12 (7th grade) and nearly 90% by age 19.” (street harassment)

While women also may harass men in public, gender inequality means that the power dynamics at play, frequency of the harassment, the underlying threat of rape, and the impact on the harassed person’s life is rarely comparable. For these reasons, the work of Stop Street Harassment focuses mostly on men harassing women (cis and transwomen) or people perceived to be female, with secondary focus on the harassment of LGBQT individuals as a whole. (Street harassment)

Also, while public harassment motivated by racism, homophobia, transphobia, or classism—types of deplorable harassment which men can be the target of and sometimes women perpetrate—is recognized as socially unacceptable behavior, men’s harassment of women motivated by gender and sexism is not. Instead it is portrayed as complimentary, a joke, or “only” a trivial annoyance. Plus people tend to blame women for its occurrence based on what they are wearing or what time of day they are in public. Additionally, there are already many great groups working to address the other forms of harassment, but there are few addressing gender-based harassment. These are additional reasons why Stop Street Harassment focuses on this type of harassment – but is an ally to all groups and people working to end every type of harassment. (street harassment)

The alarming truth is, sexual harassment is everywhere. As a growing epidemic I don’t think we can ever truly stop it from happening ever again. There will always be those disgusting people that must use that in order to fulfill their power and control desire. I do believe we can dramatically reduce the number of assaults.

From a woman’s perspective, here is how you can combat sexual harassment:

Be aware of your surroundings. Is someone is constantly invading your space, create distance.
Communicate verbally about what you want.
State what you expect going forward.
Communicate your agreement again if it is disrespected.
Have an unbiased 3rd party to decide harassment outcomes.

Men are a very important player when it comes to sexual assault prevention. From a mans perspective, here is how we can stop sexually assaulting women:

Be aware of language used by men toward women.
Communicate with other men and women about possible issues.
Speak up against sexual assault abusers, regardless of how you know them.

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SHARE Title IX Announcements

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM). Participate in SAAM events on campus all month long and learn more by visiting our dedicated SAAM website: https://saamatstanford.com

What You Can Do to Stop Sexual Harassment

Main navigation.

Know your rights

Sexual harassment is illegal. You will find lots of helpful information on this website, and you may also want to take a look at Stanford's policy that specifically prohibits sexual harassment.

Concern about Retaliation

You may be concerned about retaliation if you talk to someone‑-particularly if the person causing the harassment is a supervisor, a teacher, or someone else who has power over you. Under no circumstances will Stanford allow reprisals against a person who in good faith reports or provides information about sexual harassment or behavior that might constitute sexual harassment.

On the other hand, intentionally making a false report or providing false information is grounds for discipline.

Some steps you can take, or ask for help with:

Report it! Sexual harassment is not tolerated at Stanford University. We are here to help. Report matters to Stanford's Title IX Coordinator with the SHARE Title IX Office at [email protected] .

Consult . If you're not ready to report, consult with one of Stanford's resources for further help and guidance. These people can provide support and advice about Stanford's policy and procedures, and can help you explore options towards resolution.

Ask for the conduct to stop. We are here to assist you but if you would like to manage this on your own, it is okay to clearly and firmly state directly to the harasser that you want a particular behavior to cease. This is not a time to be polite or vague.

Send a written message to the harasser. This can often succeed in stopping sexual harassment. Include a factual account of the offending behavior, describe how you felt about it, and state simply that you want that particular behavior to stop.
Keep records or a journal and save any letters, e-mails, or notes you have about the situation if the harassment persists. Record dates, places, times, witnesses and the nature of the harassment—what was said when, and how you responded.

What not to do

Do not blame yourself. Sexual harassment is not something one brings on oneself.

Do not delay. Waiting to act in cases of sexual harassment only increases the probability that the harassing behavior will continue.

Don't wait to seek help. Being quiet about sexual harassment enables it to continue. Chances are very good that you are not the only one who has been harassed. Speaking up may prevent others from being harmed.

Consultation and advice

You might want just to talk to someone — to get ideas about what to do about the situation or behavior that concerns you. It could be someone else's behavior, or your own. There are several ways that you can talk with people on campus. You can even do it anonymously.

Greater Good Science Center • Magazine • In Action • In Education

Seven Ways to Stand Up Against Sexual Harassment

Picture this: You’re a junior assistant working for a powerful Hollywood producer. You’re ecstatic at your good fortune and hope this position will help you break into film. But your boss has a sketchy reputation when it comes to women, and one day he nuzzles up to a young rising star, who looks horrified. Then he asks you to leave the room. What do you do?

The blockbuster allegations against film producer Harvey Weinstein have many of us wondering how we’d navigate similar scenarios. What do you do when your colleague tells you the department head propositioned her in the hallway? How do you react when the subway strap-hanger next to you grabs a fellow rider’s behind?

Choosing the right response can feel daunting. A Queensland University of Technology study reports that bystander reactions to sexual harassment are often muted or non-existent. When you do act decisively, though, you can have a major impact. In a York University study of bullying incidents, intervening bystanders were able to stop aggressors more than half of the time.

But how? Here are seven research-tested ways to step up against sexual harassment that will get results.

1. Shift the focus—and record the evidence

When it comes to stopping harassment, “most people think that the only approach is direct confrontation,” says Mike Dilbeck, founder of the Response Ability project, who leads workshops on effective intervention. “That’s not the right approach a lot of times. It can backlash.”

If direct intervention isn’t comfortable or possible, Dilbeck recommends doing something that stops the harassment in an under-the-radar way. That could mean “accidentally” spilling a beer on a party guest who’s making aggressive moves on his date, which redirects his attention to his sopping shirt. Or it could mean switching seats on the subway when you see someone getting harassed.

“I have intervened several times by simply having women come sit with me,” says Jessica Seigel, a writer and adjunct professor at New York University. Once when she did this on a train, she says, “another woman on the other side scooched in on their left flank, me on the right flank, in a sense creating actual physical cover.”

You can also discreetly film harassment incidents with your smartphone and write down exactly what you’ve witnessed. That creates an evidentiary record should the person affected decide to pursue legal action.

2. Make shrewd pre-emptive moves

Sexual harassers typically act only in specific situations where they feel comfortable doing so, and you can use your knowledge of their tendencies to stave off potential incidents before they happen.

If a coworker is alone in a room with a supervisor known to be a repeat harasser, for instance, you can come up with a reason to enter the room yourself. And, if you’re in a relatively powerful position at a company that isn’t taking action against known harassers, you can arrange for them to be transferred to assignments where they won’t have access to new targets. While obviously not a permanent and systemic solution, it is one step an individual with power can take when the system fails.

3. Resist the urge to normalize

After people watched a video clip of women being portrayed as sexual objects, their sensitivity to sexual harassment took a hit, according to a 2017 study at Italy’s University of Padova. Compared to members of a control group, the video watchers were less likely to speak up when they later witnessed a sexual harassment incident in real time, and they were also slower to recognize that harassment was going on in the first place.

This suggests an insidious normalizing process in which harassment can start to seem par for the course. Over time, a toxic culture can make some people downright blasé about harassment—like the talent agent who quipped about Weinstein, “He asked for a few massages? Waaah! Welcome to Hollywood!”

To combat our general tendency to shrug things off, psychologist Philip Zimbardo’s Heroic Imagination Project has trained people to practice a split-second version of mindful awareness in which they ask themselves something like, “What action is consistent with the kind of person I want to be?”

This kind of heightened awareness may also help you empathize with a harasser’s target, says University of Richmond psychologist Scott Allison, author of Heroes: What They Do and Why We Need Them . “You become synchronized with that other person, making you more likely to act on their behalf.”

4. Tailor your response to an incident’s severity

The definition of sexual harassment can be notoriously slippery. There are countless ways to make a target or listener feel uncomfortable that fall short of a full-on grope or profane insult.

In these types of blurred-line situations, the magnitude of the offense can inform the magnitude of your response. If someone tells a dirty joke in mixed company while making eyes at a colleague, you’re probably not going to submit a formal write-up to his boss. But a forthright remark like, “Seriously? That’s vile. People don’t want to hear it,” can be very effective. Not only does it shut the offender down, it also influences what others consider appropriate behavior.

The key with seemingly minor offenses, Allison says, is “nipping it in the bud at an early stage,” which helps contribute to a culture of mutual respect.

5. Take a bold stand and own it

Sure, you can sometimes cut harassment short with a well-chosen comment. But other times the casual approach won’t cut it—when the offense is major, or when repeated warnings go unheeded. In cases like this, the potential cost of calling out a harasser can be significant.

In a 2015 Australian study analyzing bystander behavior, a high proportion of observers failed to take action against the harassment they saw, because they feared losing professional standing, being targeted by superiors, or being cast aside socially. The greater the power differential between an aggressor and a reporter, the more realistic and damaging such consequences may be.

If you’re contemplating direct action against a harasser and you’re not under intense time pressure, try spelling out exactly what you believe is at stake. Which is more important to you—holding on to a particular job/friend/status, or shutting down an aggressor who intends to target others in the future? How likely is the outcome you most fear? If you don’t speak up now, will you regret it later?

Thinking through these kinds of questions helps you clarify your moral priorities, which will bolster your self-assurance should you decide to intervene. “It’s not getting rid of fear,” Dilbeck says. “It’s making a judgment call that something else is more important.”

6. Fight to keep reporters safe

7. Line up allies and use them wisely

The conspiracy of silence that grows up around sexual harassment often compounds its destructive power. Harvey Weinstein got away with his actions for decades because almost no one dared to call him out.

Conversely, a few courageous voices raised in unison can curtail harassment in dramatic ways. When a core group of victims and observers took the risk of speaking up about what Weinstein was up to, millions joined them in condemning his actions, and he was booted out of the company he had helped found.

In the same way, when you coordinate your efforts with those of like-minded others—approaching your boss as a group with harassment concerns, for example, or consulting with seasoned activists to figure out the next ideal steps to take—your positive impact multiplies. You can also ask others who support you to intervene in harassment situations where you don’t feel comfortable, says Brandi Mora, a victim advocate for the U.S. Air Force.

Many times, building strength in numbers starts with being brave enough to sound others out about the harassment you’ve seen. “Talking to someone else—‘Do you know this is happening?’—a lot of times they’ll go, ‘Yeah, I [didn’t] think anybody else did,’” Dilbeck says. That kind of confirmation and support goes a long way when you need to risk pushback and ridicule to make sure justice gets done.

About the Author

Elizabeth Svoboda

Elizabeth Svoboda is a writer in San Jose, CA, and a regular contributor to Greater Good . She is the author of What Makes a Hero?: The Surprising Science of Selflessness . Her newest book, for kids, is The Life Heroic .

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Sexual Harassment of Women: Climate, Culture, and Consequences in Academic Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (2018)

Chapter: 7 findings, conclusions, and recommendations, 7 findings, conclusions, and recommendations.

Preventing and effectively addressing sexual harassment of women in colleges and universities is a significant challenge, but we are optimistic that academic institutions can meet that challenge—if they demonstrate the will to do so. This is because the research shows what will work to prevent sexual harassment and why it will work. A systemwide change to the culture and climate in our nation’s colleges and universities can stop the pattern of harassing behavior from impacting the next generation of women entering science, engineering, and medicine.

Changing the current culture and climate requires addressing all forms of sexual harassment, not just the most egregious cases; moving beyond legal compliance; supporting targets when they come forward; improving transparency and accountability; diffusing the power structure between faculty and trainees; and revising organizational systems and structures to value diversity, inclusion, and respect. Leaders at every level within academia will be needed to initiate these changes and to establish and maintain the culture and norms. However, to succeed in making these changes, all members of our nation’s college campuses—students, faculty, staff, and administrators—will need to assume responsibility for promoting a civil and respectful environment. It is everyone’s responsibility to stop sexual harassment.

In this spirit of optimism, we offer the following compilation of the report’s findings, conclusions, and recommendations.

FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS

Chapter 2: sexual harassment research.

Sexual harassment is a form of discrimination that consists of three types of harassing behavior: (1) gender harassment (verbal and nonverbal behaviors that convey hostility, objectification, exclusion, or second-class status about members of one gender); (2) unwanted sexual attention (unwelcome verbal or physical sexual advances, which can include assault); and (3) sexual coercion (when favorable professional or educational treatment is conditioned on sexual activity). The distinctions between the types of harassment are important, particularly because many people do not realize that gender harassment is a form of sexual harassment.
Sexually harassing behavior can be either direct (targeted at an individual) or ambient (a general level of sexual harassment in an environment) and is harmful in both cases. It is considered illegal when it creates a hostile environment (gender harassment or unwanted sexual attention that is “severe or pervasive” enough to alter the conditions of employment, interfere with one’s work performance, or impede one’s ability to get an education) or when it is quid pro quo sexual harassment (when favorable professional or educational treatment is conditioned on sexual activity).
There are reliable scientific methods for determining the prevalence of sexual harassment. To measure the incidence of sexual harassment, surveys should follow the best practices that have emerged from the science of sexual harassment. This includes use of the Sexual Experiences Questionnaire, the most widely used and well-validated instrument available for measuring sexual harassment; assessment of specific behaviors without requiring the respondent to label the behaviors “sexual harassment”; focus on first-hand experience or observation of behavior (rather than rumor or hearsay); and focus on the recent past (1–2 years, to avoid problems of memory decay). Relying on the number of official reports of sexual harassment made to an organization is not an accurate method for determining the prevalence.
Some surveys underreport the incidence of sexual harassment because they have not followed standard and valid practices for survey research and sexual harassment research.
While properly conducted surveys are the best methods for estimating the prevalence of sexual harassment, other salient aspects of sexual harassment and its consequences can be examined using other research methods , such as behavioral laboratory experiments, interviews, case studies, ethnographies, and legal research. Such studies can provide information about the presence and nature of sexually harassing behavior in an organization, how it develops and continues (and influences the organizational climate), and how it attenuates or amplifies outcomes from sexual harassment.
Women experience sexual harassment more often than men do.
Gender harassment (e.g., behaviors that communicate that women do not belong or do not merit respect) is by far the most common type of sexual harassment. When an environment is pervaded by gender harassment, unwanted sexual attention and sexual coercion become more likely to occur—in part because unwanted sexual attention and sexual coercion are almost never experienced by women without simultaneously experiencing gender harassment.
Men are more likely than women to commit sexual harassment.
Coworkers and peers more often commit sexual harassment than do superiors.
Sexually harassing behaviors are not typically isolated incidents; rather, they are a series or pattern of sometimes escalating incidents and behaviors.
Women of color experience more harassment (sexual, racial/ethnic, or combination of the two) than white women, white men, and men of color do. Women of color often experience sexual harassment that includes racial harassment.
Sexual- and gender-minority people experience more sexual harassment than heterosexual women do.
The two characteristics of environments most associated with higher rates of sexual harassment are (a) male-dominated gender ratios and leadership and (b) an organizational climate that communicates tolerance of sexual harassment (e.g., leadership that fails to take complaints seriously, fails to sanction perpetrators, or fails to protect complainants from retaliation).
Organizational climate is, by far, the greatest predictor of the occurrence of sexual harassment, and ameliorating it can prevent people from sexually harassing others. A person more likely to engage in harassing behaviors is significantly less likely to do so in an environment that does not support harassing behaviors and/or has strong, clear, transparent consequences for these behaviors.

Chapter 3: Sexual Harassment in Academic Science, Engineering, and Medicine

Male-dominated environment , with men in positions of power and authority.
Organizational tolerance for sexually harassing behavior (e.g., failing to take complaints seriously, failing to sanction perpetrators, or failing to protect complainants from retaliation).
Hierarchical and dependent relationships between faculty and their trainees (e.g., students, postdoctoral fellows, residents).
Isolating environments (e.g., labs, field sites, and hospitals) in which faculty and trainees spend considerable time.
Greater than 50 percent of women faculty and staff and 20–50 percent of women students encounter or experience sexually harassing conduct in academia.
Women students in academic medicine experience more frequent gender harassment perpetrated by faculty/staff than women students in science and engineering.
Women students/trainees encounter or experience sexual harassment perpetrated by faculty/staff and also by other students/trainees.
Women faculty encounter or experience sexual harassment perpetrated by other faculty/staff and also by students/trainees.
Women students, trainees, and faculty in academic medical centers experience sexual harassment by patients and patients’ families in addition to the harassment they experience from colleagues and those in leadership positions.

Chapter 4: Outcomes of Sexual Harassment

When women experience sexual harassment in the workplace, the professional outcomes include declines in job satisfaction; withdrawal from their organization (i.e., distancing themselves from the work either physically or mentally without actually quitting, having thoughts or

intentions of leaving their job, and actually leaving their job); declines in organizational commitment (i.e., feeling disillusioned or angry with the organization); increases in job stress; and declines in productivity or performance.

When students experience sexual harassment, the educational outcomes include declines in motivation to attend class, greater truancy, dropping classes, paying less attention in class, receiving lower grades, changing advisors, changing majors, and transferring to another educational institution, or dropping out.
Gender harassment has adverse effects. Gender harassment that is severe or occurs frequently over a period of time can result in the same level of negative professional and psychological outcomes as isolated instances of sexual coercion. Gender harassment, often considered a “lesser,” more inconsequential form of sexual harassment, cannot be dismissed when present in an organization.
The greater the frequency, intensity, and duration of sexually harassing behaviors, the more women report symptoms of depression, stress, and anxiety, and generally negative effects on psychological well-being.
The more women are sexually harassed in an environment, the more they think about leaving, and end up leaving as a result of the sexual harassment.
The more power a perpetrator has over the target, the greater the impacts and negative consequences experienced by the target.
For women of color, preliminary research shows that when the sexual harassment occurs simultaneously with other types of harassment (i.e., racial harassment), the experiences can have more severe consequences for them.
Sexual harassment has adverse effects that affect not only the targets of harassment but also bystanders, coworkers, workgroups, and entire organizations.
Women cope with sexual harassment in a variety of ways, most often by ignoring or appeasing the harasser and seeking social support.
The least common response for women is to formally report the sexually harassing experience. For many, this is due to an accurate perception that they may experience retaliation or other negative outcomes associated with their personal and professional lives.
The dependence on advisors and mentors for career advancement.
The system of meritocracy that does not account for the declines in productivity and morale as a result of sexual harassment.
The “macho” culture in some fields.
The informal communication network , in which rumors and accusations are spread within and across specialized programs and fields.
The cumulative effect of sexual harassment is significant damage to research integrity and a costly loss of talent in academic science, engineering, and medicine. Women faculty in science, engineering, and medicine who experience sexual harassment report three common professional outcomes: stepping down from leadership opportunities to avoid the perpetrator, leaving their institution, and leaving their field altogether.

Chapter 5: Existing Legal and Policy Mechanisms for Addressing Sexual Harassment

An overly legalistic approach to the problem of sexual harassment is likely to misjudge the true nature and scope of the problem. Sexual harassment law and policy development has focused narrowly on the sexualized and coercive forms of sexual harassment, not on the gender harassment type that research has identified as much more prevalent and at times equally harmful.
Much of the sexual harassment that women experience and that damages women and their careers in science, engineering, and medicine does not meet the legal criteria of illegal discrimination under current law.
Private entities, such as companies and private universities, are legally allowed to keep their internal policies and procedures—and their research on those policies and procedures—confidential, thereby limiting the research that can be done on effective policies for preventing and handling sexual harassment.
Various legal policies, and the interpretation of such policies, enable academic institutions to maintain secrecy and/or confidentiality regarding outcomes of sexual harassment investigations, arbitration, and settlement agreements. Colleagues may also hesitate to warn one another about sexual harassment concerns in the hiring or promotion context out of fear of legal repercussions (i.e., being sued for defamation and/or discrimination). This lack of transparency in the adjudication process within organizations can cover up sexual harassment perpetrated by repeat or serial harassers. This creates additional barriers to researchers

and others studying harassment claims and outcomes, and is also a barrier to determining the effectiveness of policies and procedures.

Title IX, Title VII, and case law reflect the inaccurate assumption that a target of sexual harassment will promptly report the harassment without worrying about retaliation. Effectively addressing sexual harassment through the law, institutional policies or procedures, or cultural change requires taking into account that targets of sexual harassment are unlikely to report harassment and often face retaliation for reporting (despite this being illegal).
Fears of legal liability may prevent institutions from being willing to effectively evaluate training for its measurable impact on reducing harassment. Educating employees via sexual harassment training is commonly implemented as a central component of demonstrating to courts that institutions have “exercised reasonable care to prevent and correct promptly any sexually harassing behavior.” However, research has not demonstrated that such training prevents sexual harassment. Thus, if institutions evaluated their training programs, they would likely find them to be ineffective, which, in turn, could raise fears within institutions of their risk for liability because they would then knowingly not be exercising reasonable care.
Holding individuals and institutions responsible for sexual harassment and demonstrating that sexual harassment is a serious issue requires U.S. federal funding agencies to be aware when principal investigators, co-principal investigators, and grant personnel have violated sexual harassment policies. It is unclear whether and how federal agencies will take action beyond the requirements of Title IX and Title VII to ensure that federal grants, composed of taxpayers’ dollars, are not supporting research, academic institutions, or programs in which sexual harassment is ongoing and not being addressed. Federal science agencies usually indicate (e.g., in requests for proposals or other announcements) that they have a “no-tolerance” policy for sexual harassment. In general, federal agencies rely on the grantee institutions to investigate and follow through on Title IX violations. By not assessing and addressing the role of institutions and professional organizations in enabling individual sexual harassers, federal agencies may be perpetuating the problem of sexual harassment.
To address the effect sexual harassment has on the integrity of research, parts of the federal government and several professional societies are beginning to focus more broadly on policies about research integrity and on codes of ethics rather than on the narrow definition of research misconduct. A powerful incentive for change may be missed if sexual harassment is not considered equally important as research misconduct, in terms of its effect on the integrity of research.

Chapter 6: Changing the Culture and Climate in Higher Education

A systemwide change to the culture and climate in higher education is required to prevent and effectively address all three forms of sexual harassment. Despite significant attention in recent years, there is no evidence to suggest that current policies, procedures, and approaches have resulted in a significant reduction in sexual harassment. It is time to consider approaches that address the systems, cultures, and climates that enable sexual harassment to perpetuate.
Strong and effective leaders at all levels in the organization are required to make the systemwide changes to climate and culture in higher education. The leadership of the organization—at every level—plays a significant role in establishing and maintaining an organization’s culture and norms. However, leaders in academic institutions rarely have leadership training to thoughtfully address culture and climate issues, and the leadership training that exists is often of poor quality.
Evidence-based, effective intervention strategies are available for enhancing gender diversity in hiring practices.
Focusing evaluation and reward structures on cooperation and collegiality rather than solely on individual-level teaching and research performance metrics could have a significant impact on improving the environment in academia.
Evidence-based, effective intervention strategies are available for raising levels of interpersonal civility and respect in workgroups and teams.
An organization that is committed to improving organizational climate must address issues of bias in academia. Training to reduce personal bias can cause larger-scale changes in departmental behaviors in an academic setting.
Skills-based training that centers on bystander intervention promotes a culture of support, not one of silence. By calling out negative behaviors on the spot, all members of an academic community are helping to create a culture where abusive behavior is seen as an aberration, not as the norm.
Reducing hierarchical power structures and diffusing power more broadly among faculty and trainees can reduce the risk of sexual ha

rassment. Departments and institutions could take the following approaches for diffusing power:

Make use of egalitarian leadership styles that recognize that people at all levels of experience and expertise have important insights to offer.
Adopt mentoring networks or committee-based advising that allows for a diversity of potential pathways for advice, funding, support, and informal reporting of harassment.
Develop ways the research funding can be provided to the trainee rather than just the principal investigator.
Take on the responsibility for preserving the potential work of the research team and trainees by redistributing the funding if a principal investigator cannot continue the work because he/she has created a climate that fosters sexual harassment and guaranteeing funding to trainees if the institution or a funder pulls funding from the principal investigator because of sexual harassment.
Orienting students, trainees, faculty, and staff, at all levels, to the academic institution’s culture and its policies and procedures for handling sexual harassment can be an important piece of establishing a climate that demonstrates sexual harassment is not tolerated and targets will be supported.
Institutions could build systems of response that empower targets by providing alternative and less formal means of accessing support services, recording information, and reporting incidents without fear of retaliation.
Supporting student targets also includes helping them to manage their education and training over the long term.
Confidentiality and nondisclosure agreements isolate sexual harassment targets by limiting their ability to speak with others about their experiences and can serve to shield perpetrators who have harassed people repeatedly.
Key components of clear anti-harassment policies are that they are quickly and easily digested (i.e., using one-page flyers or infographics and not in legally dense language) and that they clearly state that people will be held accountable for violating the policy.
A range of progressive/escalating disciplinary consequences (such as counseling, changes in work responsibilities, reductions in pay/benefits, and suspension or dismissal) that corresponds to the severity and frequency of the misconduct has the potential of correcting behavior before it escalates and without significantly disrupting an academic program.
In an effort to change behavior and improve the climate, it may also be appropriate for institutions to undertake some rehabilitation-focused measures, even though these may not be sanctions per se.
For the people in an institution to understand that the institution does not tolerate sexual harassment, it must show that it does investigate and then hold perpetrators accountable in a reasonable timeframe. Institutions can anonymize the basic information and provide regular reports that convey how many reports are being investigated and what the outcomes are from the investigation.
An approach for improving transparency and demonstrating that the institution takes sexual harassment seriously is to encourage internal review of its policies, procedures, and interventions for addressing sexual harassment, and to have interactive dialogues with members of their campus community (especially expert researchers on these topics) around ways to improve the culture and climate and change behavior.
Cater training to specific populations; in academia this would include students, postdoctoral fellows, staff, faculty, and those in leadership.
Attend to the institutional motivation for training , which can impact the effectiveness of the training; for instance, compliance-based approaches have limited positive impact.
Conduct training using live qualified trainers and offer trainees specific examples of inappropriate conduct. We note that a great deal of sexual harassment training today is offered via an online mini-course or the viewing of a short video.
Describe standards of behavior clearly and accessibly (e.g., avoiding legal and technical terms).
To the extent that the training literature provides broad guidelines for creating impactful training that can change climate and behavior, they include the following:
Establish standards of behavior rather than solely seek to influence attitudes and beliefs. Clear communication of behavioral expectations, and teaching of behavioral skills, is essential.
Conduct training in adherence to best standards , including appropriate pre-training needs assessment and evaluation of its effectiveness.
Creating a climate that prevents sexual harassment requires measuring the climate in relation to sexual harassment, diversity, and respect, and assessing progress in reducing sexual harassment.
Efforts to incentivize systemwide changes, such as Athena SWAN, 1 are crucial to motivating organizations and departments within organizations to make the necessary changes.
Enacting new codes of conduct and new rules related specifically to conference attendance.
Including sexual harassment in codes of ethics and investigating reports of sexual harassment. (This is a new responsibility for professional societies, and these organizations are considering how to take into consideration the law, home institutions, due process, and careful reporting when dealing with reports of sexual harassment.)
Requiring members to acknowledge, in writing, the professional society’s rules and codes of conduct relating to sexual harassment during conference registration and during membership sign-up and renewal.
Supporting and designing programs that prevent harassment and provide skills to intervene when someone is being harassed.
Strengthening statements on sexual harassment, bullying, and discrimination in professional societies’ codes of conduct, with a few defining it as research misconduct.
Factoring in harassment-related professional misconduct into scientific award decisions.
Professional societies have the potential to be powerful drivers of change through their capacity to help educate, train, codify, and reinforce cultural expectations for their respective scientific, engineering, and medical communities. Some professional societies have taken action to prevent and respond to sexual harassment among their membership. Although each professional society has taken a slightly different approach to addressing sexual harassment, there are some shared approaches, including the following:

___________________

1 Athena SWAN (Scientific Women’s Academic Network). See https://www.ecu.ac.uk/equalitycharters/athena-swan/ .

There are many promising approaches to changing the culture and climate in academia; however, further research assessing the effects and values of the following approaches is needed to identify best practices:
Policies, procedures, trainings, and interventions, specifically how they prevent and stop sexually harassing behavior, alter perception of organizational tolerance for sexually harassing behavior, and reduce the negative consequences from reporting the incidents. This includes informal and formal reporting mechanisms, bystander intervention training, academic leadership training, sexual harassment training, interventions to improve civility, mandatory reporting requirements, and approaches to supporting and improving communication with the target.
Mechanisms for target-led resolution options and mechanisms by which the target has a role in deciding what happens to the perpetrator, including restorative justice practices.
Mechanisms for protecting targets from retaliation.
Rehabilitation-focused measures for disciplining perpetrators.
Incentive systems for encouraging leaders in higher education to address the issues of sexual harassment on campus.

RECOMMENDATIONS

RECOMMENDATION 1: Create diverse, inclusive, and respectful environments.

Academic institutions and their leaders should take explicit steps to achieve greater gender and racial equity in hiring and promotions, and thus improve the representation of women at every level.
Academic institutions and their leaders should take steps to foster greater cooperation, respectful work behavior, and professionalism at the faculty, staff, and student/trainee levels, and should evaluate faculty and staff on these criteria in hiring and promotion.
Academic institutions should combine anti-harassment efforts with civility-promotion programs.
Academic institutions should cater their training to specific populations (in academia these should include students/trainees, staff, faculty, and those in leadership) and should follow best practices in designing training programs. Training should be viewed as the means of providing the skills needed by all members of the academic community, each of whom has a role to play in building a positive organizational climate focused on safety and respect, and not simply as a method of ensuring compliance with laws.
Academic institutions should utilize training approaches that develop skills among participants to interrupt and intervene when inappropriate behavior occurs. These training programs should be evaluated to deter

mine whether they are effective and what aspects of the training are most important to changing culture.

Anti–sexual harassment training programs should focus on changing behavior, not on changing beliefs. Programs should focus on clearly communicating behavioral expectations, specifying consequences for failing to meet these expectations, and identifying the mechanisms to be utilized when these expectations are not met. Training programs should not be based on the avoidance of legal liability.

RECOMMENDATION 2: Address the most common form of sexual harassment: gender harassment.

Leaders in academic institutions and research and training sites should pay increased attention to and enact policies that cover gender harassment as a means of addressing the most common form of sexual harassment and of preventing other types of sexually harassing behavior.

RECOMMENDATION 3: Move beyond legal compliance to address culture and climate.

Academic institutions, research and training sites, and federal agencies should move beyond interventions or policies that represent basic legal compliance and that rely solely on formal reports made by targets. Sexual harassment needs to be addressed as a significant culture and climate issue that requires institutional leaders to engage with and listen to students and other campus community members.

RECOMMENDATION 4: Improve transparency and accountability.

Academic institutions need to develop—and readily share—clear, accessible, and consistent policies on sexual harassment and standards of behavior. They should include a range of clearly stated, appropriate, and escalating disciplinary consequences for perpetrators found to have violated sexual harassment policy and/or law. The disciplinary actions taken should correspond to the severity and frequency of the harassment. The disciplinary actions should not be something that is often considered a benefit for faculty, such as a reduction in teaching load or time away from campus service responsibilities. Decisions regarding disciplinary actions, if indicated or required, should be made in a fair and timely way following an investigative process that is fair to all sides. 2
Academic institutions should be as transparent as possible about how they are handling reports of sexual harassment. This requires balancing issues of confidentiality with issues of transparency. Annual reports,

2 Further detail on processes and guidance for how to fairly and appropriately investigate and adjudicate these issues are not provided because they are complex issues that were beyond the scope of this study.

that provide information on (1) how many and what type of policy violations have been reported (both informally and formally), (2) how many reports are currently under investigation, and (3) how many have been adjudicated, along with general descriptions of any disciplinary actions taken, should be shared with the entire academic community: students, trainees, faculty, administrators, staff, alumni, and funders. At the very least, the results of the investigation and any disciplinary action should be shared with the target(s) and/or the person(s) who reported the behavior.

Academic institutions should be accountable for the climate within their organization. In particular, they should utilize climate surveys to further investigate and address systemic sexual harassment, particularly when surveys indicate specific schools or facilities have high rates of harassment or chronically fail to reduce rates of sexual harassment.
Academic institutions should consider sexual harassment equally important as research misconduct in terms of its effect on the integrity of research. They should increase collaboration among offices that oversee the integrity of research (i.e., those that cover ethics, research misconduct, diversity, and harassment issues); centralize resources, information, and expertise; provide more resources for handling complaints and working with targets; and implement sanctions on researchers found guilty of sexual harassment.

RECOMMENDATION 5: Diffuse the hierarchical and dependent relationship between trainees and faculty.

Academic institutions should consider power-diffusion mechanisms (i.e., mentoring networks or committee-based advising and departmental funding rather than funding only from a principal investigator) to reduce the risk of sexual harassment.

RECOMMENDATION 6: Provide support for the target.

Academic institutions should convey that reporting sexual harassment is an honorable and courageous action. Regardless of a target filing a formal report, academic institutions should provide means of accessing support services (social services, health care, legal, career/professional). They should provide alternative and less formal means of recording information about the experience and reporting the experience if the target is not comfortable filing a formal report. Academic institutions should develop approaches to prevent the target from experiencing or fearing retaliation in academic settings.

RECOMMENDATION 7: Strive for strong and diverse leadership.

College and university presidents, provosts, deans, department chairs, and program directors must make the reduction and prevention of sexual

harassment an explicit goal of their tenure. They should publicly state that the reduction and prevention of sexual harassment will be among their highest priorities, and they should engage students, faculty, and staff (and, where appropriate, the local community) in their efforts.

Academic institutions should support and facilitate leaders at every level (university, school/college, department, lab) in developing skills in leadership, conflict resolution, mediation, negotiation, and de-escalation, and should ensure a clear understanding of policies and procedures for handling sexual harassment issues. Additionally, these skills development programs should be customized to each level of leadership.
Leadership training programs for those in academia should include training on how to recognize and handle sexual harassment issues, and how to take explicit steps to create a culture and climate to reduce and prevent sexual harassment—and not just protect the institution against liability.

RECOMMENDATION 8: Measure progress.

Academic institutions should work with researchers to evaluate and assess their efforts to create a more diverse, inclusive, and respectful environment, and to create effective policies, procedures, and training programs. They should not rely on formal reports by targets for an understanding of sexual harassment on their campus.

When organizations study sexual harassment, they should follow the valid methodologies established by social science research on sexual harassment and should consult subject-matter experts. Surveys that attempt to ascertain the prevalence and types of harassment experienced by individuals should adopt the following practices: ensure confidentiality, use validated behavioral instruments such as the Sexual Experiences Questionnaire, and avoid specifically using the term “sexual harassment” in any survey or questionnaire.
Academic institutions should also conduct more wide-ranging assessments using measures in addition to campus climate surveys, for example, ethnography, focus groups, and exit interviews. These methods are especially important in smaller organizational units where surveys, which require more participants to yield meaningful data, might not be useful.
Organizations studying sexual harassment in their environments should take into consideration the particular experiences of people of color and sexual- and gender-minority people, and they should utilize methods that allow them to disaggregate their data by race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and gender identity to reveal the different experiences across populations.
The results of climate surveys should be shared publicly to encourage transparency and accountability and to demonstrate to the campus community that the institution takes the issue seriously. One option would be for academic institutions to collaborate in developing a central repository for reporting their climate data, which could also improve the ability for research to be conducted on the effectiveness of institutional approaches.
Federal agencies and foundations should commit resources to develop a tool similar to ARC3, the Administrator-Researcher Campus Climate Collaborative, to understand and track the climate for faculty, staff, and postdoctoral fellows.

RECOMMENDATION 9: Incentivize change.

Academic institutions should work to apply for awards from the emerging STEM Equity Achievement (SEA Change) program. 3 Federal agencies and private foundations should encourage and support academic institutions working to achieve SEA Change awards.
Accreditation bodies should consider efforts to create diverse, inclusive, and respectful environments when evaluating institutions or departments.
Federal agencies should incentivize efforts to reduce sexual harassment in academia by requiring evaluations of the research environment, funding research and evaluation of training for students and faculty (including bystander intervention), supporting the development and evaluation of leadership training for faculty, and funding research on effective policies and procedures.

RECOMMENDATION 10: Encourage involvement of professional societies and other organizations.

Professional societies should accelerate their efforts to be viewed as organizations that are helping to create culture changes that reduce or prevent the occurrence of sexual harassment. They should provide support and guidance for members who have been targets of sexual harassment. They should use their influence to address sexual harassment in the scientific, medical, and engineering communities they represent and promote a professional culture of civility and respect. The efforts of the American Geophysical Union are especially exemplary and should be considered as a model for other professional societies to follow.
Other organizations that facilitate the research and training of people in science, engineering, and medicine, such as collaborative field sites (i.e., national labs and observatories), should establish standards of behavior

3 See https://www.aaas.org/news/sea-change-program-aims-transform-diversity-efforts-stem .

and set policies, procedures, and practices similar to those recommended for academic institutions and following the examples of professional societies. They should hold people accountable for their behaviors while at their facility regardless of the person’s institutional affiliation (just as some professional societies are doing).

RECOMMENDATION 11: Initiate legislative action.

State legislatures and Congress should consider new and additional legislation with the following goals:

Better protecting sexual harassment claimants from retaliation.
Prohibiting confidentiality in settlement agreements that currently enable harassers to move to another institution and conceal past adjudications.
Banning mandatory arbitration clauses for discrimination claims.
Allowing lawsuits to be filed against alleged harassers directly (instead of or in addition to their academic employers).
Requiring institutions receiving federal funds to publicly disclose results from campus climate surveys and/or the number of sexual harassment reports made to campuses.
Requesting the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health devote research funds to doing a follow-up analysis on the topic of sexual harassment in science, engineering, and medicine in 3 to 5 years to determine (1) whether research has shown that the prevalence of sexual harassment has decreased, (2) whether progress has been made on implementing these recommendations, and (3) where to focus future efforts.

RECOMMENDATION 12: Address the failures to meaningfully enforce Title VII’s prohibition on sex discrimination.

Judges, academic institutions (including faculty, staff, and leaders in academia), and administrative agencies should rely on scientific evidence about the behavior of targets and perpetrators of sexual harassment when assessing both institutional compliance with the law and the merits of individual claims.
Federal judges should take into account demonstrated effectiveness of anti-harassment policies and practices such as trainings, and not just their existence , for use of an affirmative defense against a sexual harassment claim under Title VII.

RECOMMENDATION 13: Increase federal agency action and collaboration.

Federal agencies should do the following:

Increase support for research and evaluation of the effectiveness of policies, procedures, and training on sexual harassment.
Attend to sexual harassment with at least the same level of attention and resources as devoted to research misconduct. They should increase collaboration among offices that oversee the integrity of research (i.e., those that cover ethics, research misconduct, diversity, and harassment issues); centralize resources, information, and expertise; provide more resources for handling complaints and working with targets; and implement sanctions on researchers found guilty of sexual harassment.
Require institutions to report to federal agencies when individuals on grants have been found to have violated sexual harassment policies or have been put on administrative leave related to sexual harassment, as the National Science Foundation has proposed doing. Agencies should also hold accountable the perpetrator and the institution by using a range of disciplinary actions that limit the negative effects on other grant personnel who were either the target of the harassing behavior or innocent bystanders.
Reward and incentivize colleges and universities for implementing policies, programs, and strategies that research shows are most likely to and are succeeding in reducing and preventing sexual harassment.

RECOMMENDATION 14: Conduct necessary research.

Funders should support the following research:

The sexual harassment experiences of women in underrepresented and/or vulnerable groups, including women of color, disabled women, immigrant women, sexual- and gender-minority women, postdoctoral trainees, and others.
Policies, procedures, trainings, and interventions, specifically their ability to prevent and stop sexually harassing behavior, to alter perception of organizational tolerance for sexually harassing behavior, and to reduce the negative consequences from reporting the incidents. This should include research on informal and formal reporting mechanisms, bystander intervention training, academic leadership training, sexual harassment and diversity training, interventions to improve civility, mandatory reporting requirements, and approaches to supporting and improving communication with the target.
Approaches for mitigating the negative impacts and outcomes that targets experience.
The prevalence and nature of sexual harassment within specific fields in

science, engineering, and medicine and that follows good practices for sexual harassment surveys.

The prevalence and nature of sexual harassment perpetrated by students on faculty.
The amount of sexual harassment that serial harassers are responsible for.
The prevalence and effect of ambient harassment in the academic setting.
The connections between consensual relationships and sexual harassment.
Psychological characteristics that increase the risk of perpetrating different forms of sexually harassing behaviors.

RECOMMENDATION 15: Make the entire academic community responsible for reducing and preventing sexual harassment.

All members of our nation’s college campuses—students, trainees, faculty, staff, and administrators—as well as members of research and training sites should assume responsibility for promoting civil and respectful education, training, and work environments, and stepping up and confronting those whose behaviors and actions create sexually harassing environments.

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Over the last few decades, research, activity, and funding has been devoted to improving the recruitment, retention, and advancement of women in the fields of science, engineering, and medicine. In recent years the diversity of those participating in these fields, particularly the participation of women, has improved and there are significantly more women entering careers and studying science, engineering, and medicine than ever before. However, as women increasingly enter these fields they face biases and barriers and it is not surprising that sexual harassment is one of these barriers.

Over thirty years the incidence of sexual harassment in different industries has held steady, yet now more women are in the workforce and in academia, and in the fields of science, engineering, and medicine (as students and faculty) and so more women are experiencing sexual harassment as they work and learn. Over the last several years, revelations of the sexual harassment experienced by women in the workplace and in academic settings have raised urgent questions about the specific impact of this discriminatory behavior on women and the extent to which it is limiting their careers.

Sexual Harassment of Women explores the influence of sexual harassment in academia on the career advancement of women in the scientific, technical, and medical workforce. This report reviews the research on the extent to which women in the fields of science, engineering, and medicine are victimized by sexual harassment and examines the existing information on the extent to which sexual harassment in academia negatively impacts the recruitment, retention, and advancement of women pursuing scientific, engineering, technical, and medical careers. It also identifies and analyzes the policies, strategies and practices that have been the most successful in preventing and addressing sexual harassment in these settings.

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Your Role in Preventing Sexual Assault

The only person responsible for committing sexual assault is a perpetrator, but all of us have the ability to look out for each other’s safety. Whether it’s giving someone a safe ride home from a party or directly confronting a person who is engaging in threatening behavior, anyone can help prevent sexual violence.

What is a bystander?

A bystander is a person who is present when an event takes place but isn’t directly involved. Bystanders might be present when sexual assault or abuse occurs—or they could witness the circumstances that lead up to these crimes.

On average there are over 293,000 victims (age 12 or older) of rape and sexual assault each year in the U.S. The majority of these crimes are committed by someone the victim knows. Given these circumstances, it’s important to recognize the role bystanders can play in preventing crimes like sexual assault.

What can I do to prevent sexual assault?

You may have heard the term “bystander intervention” to describe a situation where someone who isn’t directly involved steps in to change the outcome. Stepping in may give the person you’re concerned about a chance to get to a safe place or leave the situation. You don’t have to be a hero or even stand out from the crowd to make a big difference in someone’s life. Take steps to protect someone who may be at risk in a way that fits your comfort level.

Whether you’re taking home a friend who has had too much to drink, explaining that a rape joke isn’t funny, or getting security involved when someone is behaving aggressively, choosing to step in can affect the way those around you think about and respond to sexual violence.

Why don’t people help more often?

It’s not always easy to step in, even if you know it’s the right thing to do. Some common reasons bystanders remain on the sidelines include:

“I don’t know what to do or what to say.”
“I don’t want to cause a scene.”
“It’s not my business.”
“I don’t want my friend to be mad at me.”
“I’m sure someone else will step in.”

It’s okay to have these thoughts, but it’s important to realize that your actions can have a big impact. In many situations, bystanders have the opportunity to prevent crimes like sexual assault from happening in the first place.

Your actions matter

Whether or not you were able to change the outcome of the situation, by stepping in you are helping change the way people think about their roles in preventing sexual violence. If you suspect that someone you know has been sexually assaulted, there are steps you can take to support that person.

Learn more about steps you can take to prevent a sexual assault and show you C.A.R.E.
Identify ways to help someone you care about .
Learn more about how to respond when someone discloses sexual assault or abuse.

What Consent Looks Like

The laws vary by state and situation, but you don’t have to be a legal expert to understand how consent plays out in real life.

Staying Safe on Campus

Sexual violence can happen to anyone, and it’s not the only crime that can occur on a college campus. We can all take steps to increase safety on college campuses.

Think you can’t change a law? Think again.

Rainn supports more than 800 survivors a day. you can help us support even more..

Sexual Harassment in Schools Essay

Thesis statement, identification, how to report sexual offenses, prevention of sexual harassment.

Every individual has a right to carry out their activities at their place of work or at school without any form of harassment. To this end, there are different forms of abuse. They include physical, mental, and psychological aggravations. Sexual harassment is one of the many forms of violations that an individual can be subjected to in society.

The current paper is written against this background. In the essay, the author creates awareness around the subject matter. More specifically, the paper addresses the issues of identification, report, and prevention of sexual harassment.

According to Young, Allen, and Ashbaker (2004), there is a need to agitate for awareness in relation to sexual harassment in institutions of higher learning. The reason is that this form of abuse is common in the school setting. For example, students may be sexually harassed by their fellow learners or by their instructors. They may also be abused by parties external to the learning institution.

Sexual harassment in colleges and universities is more prevalent than many people realize. Many students are subjected to this form of abuse, but fail to report the incidences. The issue should be taken seriously. Consequently, everyone should have knowledge of how to identify, report, and prevent sexual harassment.

Identifying this form of abuse through research, education, and awareness will help alleviate future occurrences as far as students are concerned. The benefits of such an approach are not limited to colleges and universities. On the contrary, such actions will help avert sexual abuses throughout the school system in the country.

Sexual harassment is a violation of one’s sexual privacy. Such violations are perpetuated without the consent of the victim. Young et al. (2004) define this form of abuse as any sexual behavior that is unwelcome and offensive to the individual. The offense can be verbal or physical. However, it is important to appreciate that in most cases, the victims are unable to report the abuse. The failure is informed by a number of factors.

As already indicated, sexual harassment can take place in any setting. However, institutions of higher learning appear to have more cases of the said offenses compared to other organizations. Victims of sexual harassment present a number of symptoms, which a dean or a school administrator can rely on to identify the said violations. For example, in school, a student may present visible symptoms of distress, confusion, and anxiety.

Under such circumstances, the emotional faculties of the victim are evidently affected (Young et al., 2004). Upon further observation, it is made apparent that the individual affected by such abuses tend to avoid public places where the violations may occur. For instance, a victim of groping will avoid walking in a hallway where such offenders are found. In addition, the self-esteem of the individual is significantly diminished.

Most victims of harassment do not know how to go about reporting the violation. As such, it is important to create awareness on how to initiate and sustain the process. According to the Law Office of Kevin Schwin (2012), all places of occupation should have a reporting mechanism stipulated in the terms and conditions.

The individuals in these locations should be informed on how to disclose the occurrences. In the case of a school setting, a victim is required to identify the officer tasked with attending to such reports. In most cases, the Dean of Students is the one charged with the responsibility of dealing with such incidences. Thereafter, the dean should facilitate a face-to-face meeting between the accused and the victim.

The victim should ensure that the report is made in writing. The aim is to allow the dean to carry out further investigations. According to the Law Office of Kevin Schwin (2012), the affected individual is required to make their demands regarding the offense known. A written apology is always a proper demand. In the event that an in-house resolution to the offense is not achieved, a legal approach is recommended.

Sexual harassment is avoided by many people in any setting. Awareness is essential to ensure the crime is controlled. According to the University of California (2014), continual training among staff and students is important. Such an undertaking helps to sensitize members on possible offenses that constitute sexual harassment.

The said training is necessary since there are cases where people commit acts that may not be ‘intentionally offensive.’ Sensitization should entail classes that create awareness of individual rights. Such settings create a forum needed to promote positive behavior among members of staff and students. A more radical approach would be the introduction of such training in coursework to make sure that awareness is a continuous process.

Sexual harassment is a violation of an individual’s human rights. Learning institutions must ensure that there are internal mechanisms through which such violations are reported and dealt with. The best way to tackle the menace is to support healthy discussions around the subject. Sexual harassment can only be resolved through an inclusive process.

Law Office of Kevin Schwin. (2012). How to report sexual harassment at work . Web.

University of California. (2014). University of California policy: Sexual harassment and sexual violence . Web.

Young, L., Allen, M., & Ashbaker, Y. (2004). Sexual harassment. Web.

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IvyPanda. (2020, March 31). Sexual Harassment in Schools. https://ivypanda.com/essays/sexual-harassment-in-schools/

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IvyPanda . 2020. "Sexual Harassment in Schools." March 31, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/sexual-harassment-in-schools/.

1. IvyPanda . "Sexual Harassment in Schools." March 31, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/sexual-harassment-in-schools/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Sexual Harassment in Schools." March 31, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/sexual-harassment-in-schools/.

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Take action: 10 ways you can help end violence against women

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Hero 10 ways you can help end violence against women

During the annual 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence , UN Women stands united with survivors, activists, decision-makers, global citizens, and the UN system. Together, we are spotlighting the urgent need for robust funding, essential services, and financing of prevention initiatives and data collection that shape better-informed responses to gender-based violence.

Ending violence against women is everyone’s business. Here are ten ways you can make a difference, safely and impactfully.

1. Listen to and believe survivors

When a woman shares her story of violence, she takes the first step to breaking the cycle of abuse.

It is on all of us to give her the safe space she needs to speak up and be heard.

It is important to remember that when discussing cases of sexual violence, a victim’s sobriety, clothes, and sexuality are irrelevant.

The perpetrator is the sole reason for assault and must bear the responsibility alone. Call out victim-blaming and counter the idea that it is on women to avoid situations that might be seen as “dangerous” by traditional standards.

Survivors of violence are speaking out more than ever before, and everyone has a role to play to ensure they can have justice.

Do not say, “Why didn’t she leave?”

Do say: “We hear you. We believe you. We stand with you.”

2. Teach the next generation and learn from them

The examples we set for the younger generation shape the way they think about gender, respect, and human rights. Start conversations about gender roles early on, and challenge the traditional features and characteristics assigned to men and women. Point out the stereotypes that children constantly encounter, whether in the media, on the street, or at school, and let them know that it is OK to be different. Encourage a culture of acceptance.

Talk about consent, bodily autonomy, and accountability in an age-appropriate way to boys and girls. For example, discuss the importance of a clear “yes” from all involved, the fact your body is yours and you make choices over what happens to it, and of how we must always take responsibility for our actions. It is important to also listen to what children have to say about their experience of the world. By empowering young advocates with information and educating them about women’s rights, we can build a better future for all.

3. Call for responses and services fit for purpose

Services for survivors are essential services.

This means that shelters, helplines, counseling, and all support for survivors of gender-based violence need to be available for those in need.

Every year, the 16 Days of Activism campaign calls for united, global action to end all forms of violence against women and girls.

This year the United Nations, together with our partners, are demanding increased investments to end violence against women and girls.

Join us in calling on governments to bridge funding gaps to address violence against women and girls , invest in prevention initiatives, ensure essential services for survivors of violence are maintained, implement prevention measures, and invest in collecting the data necessary to adapt and improve life-saving services for women and girls.

4. Understand consent

Freely given clear consent is mandatory, every time.

Rather than listening for a “no”, make sure there is a clear “yes”, from all involved. Adopt clear consent in your life and talk about it.

Phrases like “she was asking for it” or “boys will be boys” attempt to blur the lines around sexual consent, placing blame on victims, and excusing perpetrators from the crimes they have committed.

While those that use these lines may have fuzzy understandings of consent, the definition is crystal clear. When it comes to consent, there are no blurred lines.

Learn more about consent .

5. Learn the signs of abuse and how you can help

There are many forms of abuse and all of them can have serious physical and emotional effects. If you’re concerned about a friend who may be experiencing violence or feels unsafe around someone, review these signs and learn about the ways to help them find safety and support.

If you think someone is abusing you, help is available . You are not alone. If you’d like to talk with a trained advocate at a helpline, we compiled this list of resources around the world .

6. Start a conversation

Violence against women and girls is a human rights violation that’s been perpetuated for decades.

It is pervasive, but it is not inevitable, unless we stay silent.

Show your solidarity with survivors and where you stand in the fight for women’s rights by oranging your social media profile for the 16 Days of Activism – you can download banners for Facebook and Twitter here .

On Instagram, you can use UN Women’s face filter to spread the word and encourage your community to do the same.

Use #orangetheworld, #16Days, and #GenerationEquality to start your own conversation about gender-based violence, or share some of the content from our social media package .

7. Stand against rape culture

Rape culture is the social environment that allows sexual violence to be normalized and justified, fueled by the persistent gender inequalities and attitudes about gender and sexuality. Naming it is the first step to dismantling rape culture.

Every day we have the opportunity to examine our behaviours and beliefs for biases that permit rape culture to continue. Think about how you define masculinity and femininity, and how your own biases and stereotypes influence you.

From the attitudes we have about gender identities to the policies we support in our communities, we can all take action to stand against rape culture.

Learn more ways to stand against rape culture .

8. Fund women’s organizations

Donate to local organizations that empower women, amplify their voices, support survivors, and promote acceptance of all gender identities and sexualities.

UN Women works with women’s organizations everywhere to end violence against women, assist survivors, and secure equal rights for women and girls everywhere. Donate now .

Find out more about how women ’ s organizations prevent violence against women and girls.

9. Hold each other accountable

Violence can take many forms, including sexual harassment in the workplace and in public spaces.

Take a stand by calling it out when you see it: catcalling, inappropriate sexual comments, and sexist jokes are never okay.

Create a safer environment for everyone by challenging your peers to reflect on their own behaviour and speaking up when someone crosses the line, or by enlisting the help of others if you don’t feel safe.

As always, listen to survivors and make sure they have the support they need.

10. Know the data and demand more of it

To effectively combat gender-based violence, we need to understand the issue.

Relevant data collection is key to implementing successful prevention measures and providing survivors with the right support.

Gaps in gender sensitive data collection have become more glaring than ever. Call on your government to invest in the collection of data on gender-based violence.

Find out at how UN Women works to bring about a radical shift in how gender statistics are used, created and promoted .

Originally published on Medium.com/@UN_Women .

Ending violence against women and girls

Documentary series shares stories of women’s survival, hope, and activism

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, a woman walks through Rusayo camp for internally displaced people in August 2023. Located outside of Goma, the camp emerged as a shelter for people taking refuge from violence and, according to the World Food Programme, has grown from housing 45,000 people in January 2023 to 95,000 people by February 2024. Photo: UN Women/Ryan Brown.

Statement by principals of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee on the Democratic Republic of the Congo – Crushing levels of violence, displacement fuel unprecedented civilian suffering

UN Women Goodwill Ambassador Danai Gurira briefs the UN Security Council at the annual open debate on conflict-related sexual violence, UN headquarters, 23 April 2024. Photo: UN Women/Ryan Brown.

Speech: ‘Until we make it clear there are consequences for rape—real, dire consequences—we will never turn the tide of it’

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Sexual Harassment in the Workplace, Essay Example

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Introduction

Sexual harassment has been a hot topic for years. Corporations all over the world have been forced to deal with sexual harassment legal challenges. Crain & Heischmidt (1995) mention that after the case of Anita Hill-Clarence Thomas, Supreme Court nominee, the number of women coming out to file a complaint about sexual harassment increased significantly. Indeed, in the next nine months, the number of cases increased by 150 percent (Crain & Heischmidt, 1995). Sexual harassment is defined by the Federal Register (1980) as any form of sexual advance, physical or verbal conduct of sexual nature. While sexual harassment is illegal in most countries, it also has ethical implications. Employers need to put effective measures in place that prevent sexual harassment from happening, and make reporting easy, anonymous, and safe. The below paper will focus on government and corporate guidelines for preventing and identifying sexual harrassment.

Sexual Harassment in Context

Significance of the Issue

According to Dromm (2012), “sexual harassment is a real issue with real consequences. What some people in the workplace think brings comfort, actually brings fear and problems with self-esteem” (Dromm, 2012). Sexual harassment in the workplace is a very critical issue and affects men and women alike.

A recent publication by Stop Violence Agaisnt Women (2010) states that “It is believed that at least one-third of women in the United States experience some form of sexual harassment”. This indicates that the prevalence of sexual harassment in the workplace is significantly greater than the number of reported cases would suggest.

Ramsarop & Parumasur (2007) stated that it is still not clear which behaviors and behavior patterns constitute towards sexual harassment. The existence of the gray area makes it harder for individuals to make a judgment, and prosecutors to rule in individual cases. The next section of the review will focus on the main problems that prevent the discovery and the reporting of sexual harassment cases worldwide.

Barriers of Reporting and Ethical/Legal Considerations

According to the Stop Violence Against Women (2007), in most cases sexual harassment is not reported for many reasons. First, women do not believe that authorities and supervisors within the company would take any steps. Secondly, many women are afraid of becoming stigmatized and being blamed for falling a victim of this act. Finally, in some cases, women simply do not want to hurt the person who harassed them. They might be good friends, and a corporate night out resulted in unwanted sexual advancements. In these cases, women believe that the prosecution of the person would be too great of a punishment.

It is also hard to provide a proof of injury at court, and in most cases it is one person’s word against the other person’s, as sexual harassment usually takes place without anyone witnessing it.

Preventive Actions

One of the actions that are taken to handle sexual harassment is that all sexual harassment problems is to create relevant company policies that focus on training related to ethics. Further, policies need to state that employees can report sexual harassment anonymously.

The culture of the organization should focus on openness information sharing. In an ethical company, unwanted sexual advancement should not be tolerated. It’s one thing to be on even ground with that person, as far as sexual advances or even making sexual jokes that they don’t mind. At the same time, when the person starts taking it personally then it should be reported because the person has to feel like what they say and feel matters. According to Sherwyn (2008), “Everyone entertains a different perception of sexual harassment in the workplace, but a coworker’s personal life combined with sexual teasing should never come into play because it can cause some real damage to them especially with people that they have to work around (Sherwyn, 55, 2008).

Recent Case Analysis

A recent sexual harassment case against Kroger (Arkansas Matters, 2015) shows that the company itself has certain responsibilities towards employees. Certain steps need to be taken after the issues are reported, or the preventive policies will not achieve their intended effect. A teenager employee was subjected to sexual harassment in the workplace, and repeatedly reported the issue to her supervisor. According to the ruling in the case, Keoger “failed to take effective action to prevent such abuse of the employee by a male co-worker” (Arkansas Matters, 2015, para. 2). The company did not take any action against the harasser, and is now made to pay a settlement of $42.500. As Faye A. Williams, regional attorney of EEOC’s confirmed: “Employees – especially very young and vulnerable employees such as in this case — should be able to report to work without fear of sexual harassment,” (Quoted in: Arkansas Matters, 2015, para. 5).

Bosses and supervisors are usually required to take action, but sometimes they fail to fulfill their obligations to victims, like in the above case. In light of this, special or mandatory training on sexual harassment is another course of action that people as well as CEOs are forced to take and participate in. During the training people, people, coworkers as well as supervisors are taught about the importance of sexual harassment preventions. Also, these same people are walked through several different training scenarios that show and illustrate what is appropriate behavior in the workplace along with what is intolerable or where the line needs to be drawn.

Reflection and Recommendations

According to Blackstone (2012), “Men and women are made victims of sexual harassment, harmless sexual teasing can open the doors to workplace violence unless measures are put in place to prevent this from happening” (Blackstone, 2012). Therefore, policies should not only focus on women, but the entire population.

It can be argued that women are usually the common victims of sexual harassment and are immediately expected to tell the supervisor, but men are just as susceptible to it as women are. Back in the mid to late 90s, sexual harassment wasn’t as prevalent and in need of methodical prevention like it is today but what is clear is that both genders of people experience it at one point in time.

There have been instances in the past where people who file sexual harassment complaints aren’t dealt with accordingly because of the lack of evidence or because it’s her word against his. In these cases, employers need to determine who is lying and who’s telling the truth; it can become a battle of moral and workplace. Education related to sexual harassment, prevention, and making it easy to report cases seems to be the most effective solution for reducing the number of cases.

According to Carter (2006), “taking preventative steps to eliminating sexual harassment in the workplace is the key to happy and productive workers not to mention happy supervisors” (Carter, 2006). It can be said that sexual harassment in the workplace is an issue that should be handled with care, because it can impact a lot of people.

In closing, sexual harassment in the workplace has caused quite a lot of damage to the people working in the workplace because of the inaction on both parties’ side but taking the time to prevent it shows courage and adaptability to change; a person’s job is not a place for sexual advances or sexual harassment of any kind. It’s everyone’s responsibility to stop it at the source.

Arkansas Matters. (2015) Kroger to Pay Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Settlement. Arkansas Matters News online. Retrieved from http://www.arkansasmatters.com/news/local- news/kroger-to-pay-sexual-harrassment-lawsuit-settlement

Blackstone, A. (2012, May 1). Fighting Sexual Harassment in the Workplace. Retrieved November 9, 2015, from University of Maine http://www.scholarsstrategynetwork.org/content/fighting-sexual-harassment-workplace

Carter, S. (2006). Preventing sexual harassment in the workplace. Retrieved November 9, 2015, from http://www.roughnotes.com/rnmagazine/search/management/08_08P070.htm

Crain, K. A., & Heischmidt, K. A. (1995). Implementing business ethics: Sexual harassment. Journal of Business Ethics , 14 (4), 299-308.

Dromm, K. (2012, May 31). Keith Dromm on Sexual Harassment . Retrieved November 9, 2015, from http://sites.broadviewpress.com/keith-dromm-on-sexual-harassment/

Ramsaroop, A., & Parumasur, S. B. (2007). The prevalence and nature of sexual harassment in the workplace: A model for early identification and effective management thereof. SA Journal of Industrial Psychology , 33 (2), 25-33.

Sherwyn, D. (2008). Roundtable Retrospective 2007: Dealing with Sexual Harassment. The Scholarly Commons , 2, 55-55. http://scholarship.sha.cornell.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1386&context=articles

Stop Violence Against Women. (2007) Barriers to Effective Enforcement of Sexual Harassment Law. Retrieved from http://www.stopvaw.org/barriers_to_effective_enforcement_of_sexual_harassment_law.html

Stop Violence Against Women. (2011) Prevalence of Sexual Harassmen t. Retrieved from http://www.stopvaw.org/prevalence_of_sexual_harassment

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Preventing Sexual Harassment in Schools: A Pro-active Agenda

• by Michaela Penny-Velázquez, M.A. • IDRA Newsletter • March 1995

Sexual harassment is a problem that occurs in schools throughout the nation, whether they be urban or rural, rich or poor, public or private, secondary or elementary. The bad news is that sexual harassment may be happening in your district on a daily basis. It may be happening in the halls, in the classrooms, in the cafeteria, on the playground, or in all the places that students congregate and where adults are present. Sexual harassment is not a new thing. It has been happening for years, only we didn’t label it “sexual harassment.” We have ignored it, denied it, and not held ourselves accountable for its impact on students and their opportunity to receive an education in a safe environment, free of hostility. In fact, we have not addressed it as a problem in schools until recently.

With court decisions involving sexual harassment complaints against school districts concerning students and adult staff members and, now, students to students, school districts are paying closer attention to developing policies and procedures prohibiting sexual harassment in the educational environment. It is not enough however, to create policies without staff and students being aware of such policies and their implications. The fact remains, sexual harassment is illegal both in the workplace and in the educational environment. Students who experience sexual harassment in schools are being denied equal educational opportunity based on Title IX of the Educational Amendments (Penny-Velázquez, 1994).

Recent national survey data contained in the American Association of University Women (AAUW) report, Hostile Hallways, reveal that over 81 percent of students (male and female) report having experienced sexual harassment in the schools (1993). Contrary to what we might have thought, the majority of students experience sexual harassment from their peers and not from adults.

Over the course of the last two years, in training sessions with hundreds of administrators, teachers and other staff members, I have often asked participants if they know what the policies and procedures are for their school district regarding sexual harassment and what to do if they or students are being sexually harassed. Overwhelmingly, no hands are raised. Most participants do not even know there are laws that protect students and staff from sexual harassment and that sexual harassment is illegal in the educational environment. Clearly, if the adults in the schools do not even realize that policies exist to prohibit sexual harassment, how can we expect students to know about sexual harassment and its prohibitions?

The good news is that sexual harassment can be prevented. By teaching students to respect one another and to have healthy relationships between the sexes and within the sexes, students can become more sensitive to one another and realize that harassment in and of itself is demoralizing and degrading. School districts can best demonstrate this to students by taking a stand and not tolerating harassment in any form. This can be accomplished through awareness training about sex discrimination and bias and its effects on people and through teaching skills for empowering students to stand up for themselves when they experience harassment, whether it be sexual, racial or religious harassment.

The remainder of this article describes a comprehensive approach that one Texas school district was willing to implement in its effort to take a pro-active stand against sexual harassment in the schools. Few districts have embarked on such a comprehensive approach that will include training of more than 24,000 staff and students on the prevention of sexual harassment.

One District’s Approach to Preventing Sexual Harassment

Last November, the Intercultural Development Research Association (IDRA) received a request for training and technical assistance from a district in Texas to provide guidance in developing a comprehensive approach for the entire district to raise awareness about peer-to-peer sexual harassment. The request came in response to a resolution with the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) in which the district was to provide training to all students about the following: (1) what is sexual harassment; (2) what are the prohibitions of sexual harassment; and (3) what can students do if they are being sexually harassed. The impetus for this resolution with the OCR originated from a complaint to OCR from one of the district’s families. The district was found to be in compliance with Title IX but was asked to provide OCR with a detailed implementation plan within a specified timeframe to include training of all students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade on the prevention of sexual harassment.

In efforts to comply with the Office for Civil Rights’ resolution, the district received focused educational assistance in the development of a training plan through the IDRA Desegregation Assistance Center – South Central Collaborative (DAC-SCC) which provides training and technical assistance to school districts within a five-state area on issues related to race, national origin and gender equity. What started out as an insurmountable challenge to the district actually became an opportunity to create a district-wide awareness of the issue of peer-to-peer sexual harassment and how to prevent sexual harassment.

The first step included IDRA’s assistance in the identification of suitable resources the district could use with students in the prevention of sexual harassment. A list of recommended resources including elementary and secondary curricula and commercial videotapes was forwarded to district staff.

The second step of the process involved forming teams of individuals at the district level to take on planning and guiding the training effort in consultation with IDRA’s gender equity coordinator. At the initial meeting, a group of district representatives discussed the issues related to peer-to-peer sexual harassment, including a look at what national research and survey data say about the prevalence of peer-to-peer sexual harassment in our schools. They recommended action steps to prevent sexual harassment. At this meeting a draft of a proposed plan that was initially developed by the staff development coordinator and IDRA’s gender equity coordinator was presented, reviewed and revised based on group feedback.

An Eight-Step Approach

The following comprehensive approach was outlined.

1. Convene a meeting with a core group of individuals including the district’s Title IX coordinator and designees, selected campus principals, representatives from the district’s discipline committee, and selected counselors and nurses. The meeting was designed to review all documents containing any reference to sexual harassment. These included district policies, procedures and sanctions contained in employee and student handbooks as well as any reference to parents. The purpose of the meeting was to review these documents for inclusion of clearly stated policies and procedures regarding sexual harassment and to note any significant discrepancies or omissions.

2. Provide an overview of peer-to-peer sexual harassment to principals at each of the elementary and secondary campuses in order to: (a) raise their awareness about the prevalence of sexual harassment among students and the legal issues under Title IX; (b) review the proposed changes and modifications to the district’s policies, procedures and sanctions resulting from the first committee meeting; (c) discuss the training and implementation plan for staff and students; and (d) provide input regarding letters of notification to parents about the upcoming awareness training for students.

3. Provide a community awareness meeting for community representatives to learn about the district’s plan to prevent sexual harassment in the schools. The awareness session included an overview of what the research says about sexual harassment among students, a presentation of curricula and lessons for elementary and secondary students regarding sexual harassment, and an opportunity for questions and answers.

4. Create an introductory videotape for secondary students on: (a) what is sexual harassment; (b) what behaviors constitute sexual harassment; (c) what are the prohibitions against sexual harassment; and (d) what you can do if you are being sexually harassed. The videotape would be produced by the district’s audio-visual department and be broadcast throughout the district’s secondary campuses.

5. Provide four days of training to selected representatives from each of the district’s elementary and secondary campuses using a trainer of trainers approach. The representatives would then be responsible for training staff at their respective campuses and in turn provide the awareness sessions for students. The teams consisted of campus principals and selected counselors, teachers and nurses.

The content of the trainer of trainers sessions focused on the following: (a) an overview of the problem of sexual harassment among peers; (b) what the survey research data say about student-to-student sexual harassment; (c) curricula and supplementary resources for teaching students appropriate behaviors; (d) policies, procedures and sanctions; and (e) demonstrations of lessons for students.

Each campus team would then be responsible for developing its own training implementation plan based on the selected materials and resources. A team of elementary counselors developed an introductory lesson appropriate for early primary and upper elementary grades that was to be demonstrated at each of the training sessions. The elementary campuses elected to train a team of nurses and counselors to conduct the awareness sessions with elementary students.

6. Provide a session for vice principals and facilitators with an overview of peer-to-peer sexual harassment, policies, procedures and sanctions. Since many of the vice principals would be responsible for implementing the sanctions, an opportunity for their input was included in the training plan.

7. Include a training and planning meeting of counselors, nurses and social workers from throughout the district, in anticipation of possible disclosures and complaints of sexual harassment and other sexual abuse issues including dating violence and incest . The purpose of the training was to provide an overview to all support staff who had not attended any of the previous campus level training, to plan efforts to provide support to students who have been targets of sexual harassment or other forms of sexual abuse and to provide counseling or other related support to students doing the harassment.

8. Include follow-up activities by IDRA’s gender equity coordinator including two days of observations and feedback of the training awareness sessions and input on the campus training implementation.

The Impact So Far

The above action plan was implemented over the course of three weeks with the exception of the follow-up activities that are scheduled for a later date. The training involved hundreds of school staff members from each of the district’s campuses and will ultimately reach more than 24,000 individuals within the district. All employees and all students received awareness training in the prevention of sexual harassment by March 1995. The district plans to integrate sexual harassment prevention curricula at both the elementary and secondary levels for the following school year.

One elementary school held a parental involvement meeting with 65 parents to explain to parents their attempts to teach the children to treat each other with respect and dignity. Some comments were “This is excellent,” and “Are you going to teach the rest of the grades these courses? I have three more children in other grades.”

A counselor from another elementary school stated:

An educated child is an empowered child. By teaching our elementary-aged students pre-kindergarten through fifth about sexual harassment – i.e. what it is, what the law says about it, and how to protect themselves from unwanted, unwelcome sexual advances – they become key players in creating a safe school. And with our staff and parents also informed on this important issue we have forged a partnership who’s goal is a non-hostile, positive learning environment.

Clearly, the action steps outlined above demonstrate a pro-active stand and a commitment to prevent sexual harassment in the district’s schools. While the direct impact of training and awareness sessions is still not evident, the district has taken positive steps forward in the prevention of sexual harassment among peers and staff.

American Association of University Women (AAUW) Educational Foundation. Hostile Hallways: The AAUW Survey on Sexual Harassment in America’s Schools,” (AAUW, June 1993).

Penny-Velázquez, Michaela. “Combating Students’ Peer-to-Peer Sexual Harassment: Creating Gender Equity in Schools,” IDRA Newsletter (San Antonio, Texas: Intercultural Development Research Association, March 1994), pp. 10-12.

Michaela Velázquez is a senior education associate in the IDRA Division of Professional Development.

[©1995, IDRA. This article originally appeared in the March 1995 IDRA Newsletter by the Intercultural Development Research Association. Permission to reproduce this article is granted provided the article is reprinted in its entirety and proper credit is given to IDRA and the author.]

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Ending Harassment at Work Requires an Intersectional Approach

Pooja Jain-Link,
Trudy Bourgeois,
Julia Taylor Kennedy

Gender, race, age, and seniority all affect who’s harassed and how.

If your company approaches sexual misconduct with one-size-fits-all solutions, you probably aren’t protecting some of the most vulnerable workers. The experiences of women of color—and of men of color—are at risk of being misunderstood and undervalued. Looking further into sexual harassment research shows a more complex story than the typical senior male harassing a junior female. For instance, nearly one in three Asian women and one in four black women who have experienced sexual harassment were harassed by a junior colleague. 23% of black women say the harassment came from another women. One in 5 black men have been harassed by a colleague (usually female). But there are some intersectional solutions to these problems. Use technology to allow for truly confidential reporting. Update your training to include creative approaches like bystander training and opportunities for male allyship. Take action to prevent sexual misconduct across gender, race, and hierarchy.

If your company approaches the problem of sexual misconduct with one-size-fits-all solutions, chances are high you aren’t protecting some of the most vulnerable members of your workforce. The experiences of women of color—and of men of color—are at risk of being misunderstood and undervalued.

Pooja Jain-Link is executive vice president at Coqual and secondary lead researcher on Coqual’s four-part study, The Power of Belonging. She co-led, with Taylor Kennedy, research on Coqual’s Being Black in Corporate America and Wonder Women in STEM and the Companies that Champion Them , along with several other studies. Jain-Link also works with Coqual’s advisory clients on strategic action planning, culture audits, and other diagnostics related to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Trudy Bourgeois is the founder of The Center for Workforce Excellence and is a renowned and respected authority on leadership development. She is the author of Her Corner Office , The Hybrid Leader , and the forthcoming EQUALITY: Courageous Conversations about Women, Men, and Race in the Workplace to Create a Diversity and Inclusion Breakthrough .
Julia Taylor Kennedy is executive vice president at Coqual , a global nonprofit think tank dedicated to workplace diversity, equity, and inclusion. She is the lead researcher of Coqual’s four-part study, The Power of Belonging . She also co-led research on Coqual’s Being Black in Corporate America and The Sponsor Dividend , along with several other studies. Taylor Kennedy works with Coqual’s advisory clients to design and implement leadership development programs related to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

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A gunshot to the head. A long recovery. Then a wedding.

May 17, 2024, share center webinar, “what can you do stepping up to stop workplace violence and sexual harassment,” is may 24.

VUMC’s Sexual Harassment Awareness, Response, and Education (SHARE) Center is hosting a 45-minute workshop Friday, May 24, 8:30-9:15 a.m. (virtually on Teams) for a brief overview of workplace violence dynamics and statistics as we explore strategies to consider in your own response. A brief overview of the supports that VUMC is deploying to better address this enterprise-wide issue will also be discussed.

Hosted by Heather Kamper, LCSW – the VUMC SHARE Center Coordinator.

The SHARE Center is a part of Vanderbilt Health & Wellness.

May 6, 2024

New share center webinar, “no, it isn’t just part of the job: responding to sexual violation in health care” to be may 13.

VandySafe app provides mobile personal security option

There are several options VUMC employees can use to ensure not only their own safety, but that of their colleagues.

By Jessica Pasley

March 28, 2014

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Staff and faculty from across the university and medical center convened March 25 for a discussion about civility in the workplace.

By VUMC News and Communications

Sex Changes as We Age. Let’s Embrace That

W e tend to think of older people as devoid of sexual desires. This stereotype can feel particularly scary as we age, especially as we begin to notice sex becoming less and less frequent in our lives. Are we turning into them ? Is the era of being youthfully sexual coming to an end?

Midlife can be a time of grief as people look back on the gifts of youth and realize that there is something unknown ahead, particularly when it comes to our relationships. Many midlifers are partnered or married and navigating the demands of parenthood, or they’re divorced and dating again. All of these midlife circumstances make sex more challenging. Luckily, new research is helping to illuminate what sex later in life can actually look like, and we should all take notes. Sex in older age doesn’t have to be bleak and scary if we all embrace the changes that will likely come for us all.

Read More: This Is the Age When Your Self-Esteem Is Highest

In our 20s and 30s, the focus of sex tends to be more exploratory. It’s a time to figure out what (and who) we like. There’s also hormonal support for these pursuits, which might explain why the average American in their 20s has sex four to five times a week . Relationships may come and go, but the drive for sex can remain constant. But midlife is a period for slowing down, and potentially even narrowing down partners. Couples who met in their 20s or 30s and had really active sex may then be disappointed by their sex life over time.

Sexual functioning starts to change for a lot of people in their late 30s and early 40s. Hormonal shifts and aging bring with them a whole host of physiological changes that impact our sex lives. Women experiencing perimenopause and menopause are often troubled by their loss of libido and decrease in vaginal lubrication. Men may agonize over their lack of reliable erections or avoid sex because of the uncertainty it inspires. When sexual interest feels different or dies down, it can make couples want to give up on sex completely. Navigating age-related sexual changes can be difficult, so much so that some couples choose to be sexless . But, these changes don’t necessarily mean the end of their sex life.

In January 2024, Cosmopolitan , in collaboration with The Kinsey Institute,published survey results collected from 3,000 women over 60. Their Sex After 60 digital issue was created to show that older people are sexual, but the ways in which they are may look different from other phases of life. Overall, 21% of participants had sex in the last year. Just over half (53%) of participants between the ages of 63 and 74 had partnered sex at least once in the previous year. Results show that frequency decreases with age. But while sexual frequency declines, quality may increase. The study reveals that some women have increased confidence communicating their sexual needs because they are more self-aware of their bodies and their desires. They may also experience better orgasms, partly due to this ability to speak up for their needs. To put a finer point on this, 57% of survey respondents said they always or almost always orgasm with their partner. This isn’t bad, considering the pervasive orgasm gap that exists between heterosexual women and their male partners. Perhaps that’s because in older age, people rely less on penetrative sex alone and strive for more than just orgasms.

With less reliable erections and maybe even the inability to ejaculate, sex in later life for men can be very different. Of course, some men opt for medical interventions like Viagra, but not all men benefit from taking a pill . Instead they may rely less on sexual activities that require an erection. Perhaps couples explore more nonsexual intimacy , schedule sex play dates, engage in erotic massage and even nonmonogamy. There can be a shift to what’s called “outercourse” and a focus on sex being a shared activity, rather than something with an end goal. Mutual masturbation, oral sex, and focusing on other parts of the body can be a welcome change. In the Cosmo -Kinsey study, 60% of respondents agreed that intercourse isn’t necessary for a satisfying sexual experience. This shows how much our ideas about sex can shift as we age.

Read More: When Makeup Sex Isn’t a Good Idea

Our sexuality is something that we cultivate throughout our entire life, and we don’t stop being sexual at a certain age. It’s not surprising, then, that older people still enjoy masturbation, fantasy, watching porn, reading erotica, dating, and yes, hooking up. For some, sex later in life comes with a certain amount of freedom. On an episode of my podcast, How’s Your Sex Life? , I spoke with former This American Life producer and host of The Dream podcast, Jane Marie. Jane is a single mom who is twice divorced. When we spoke she had just had sex for the first time after a couple years. She shared that sex and dating in midlife has been great for her. She touts the joys of being on hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and not having to worry about getting pregnant. Rather than thinking of HRT as something to just relieve symptoms of perimenopause, she sees it as a way to experience sex anew, without the stress of youth. I’ve seen similar responses in clients of mine who have had hysterectomies and are surprised by how freeing sex can be.

We all have to do some work to reimagine what sex in older age looks like. For midlifers just starting to see changes in their sexual desires and functioning, this is an opportunity to let go of all the assumptions you had about what makes someone sexually viable or the kind of sex you had in your 20s. There is a world of sexuality that may look and feel differently than it did when you were younger, but it could also remain something that helps you stay intimately connected to your partners and yourself for life.

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EEOC’s New Harassment Enforcement Guidelines: A Good Primer for Addressing Workplace Harassment and Retaliation

On April 29, 2024, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued its long-awaited workplace harassment and enforcement guidelines to help employers understand what type of conduct the agency considers to be unlawful harassment.

The EEOC’s guidance focuses on three components of a harassment claim:

Covered bases and causation (i.e., whether the conduct was based on an individual’s lawfully protected characteristics such as race or sex);
the nature of the harassment resulting in discrimination affecting a term, condition, or privilege of employment; and
a basis for holding the employer liable for the conduct.

The guidance also addresses systemic harassment and enforcement. Overall, the new guidance is a good resource for addressing harassment and retaliation and reflects the evolving nature of remote work and recent Supreme Court case law expanding protections for gay and transgender employees.

Some highlights from the guidance:

Sex-based discrimination under Title VII includes employment harassment based on sexual orientation or gender identity, including how that identity is expressed. The EEOC points out, for instance, that repeated and intentional use of a name or pronoun inconsistent with the individual’s known gender identity, called “misgendering,” could be considered harassment.
The EEOC recognizes that where an employee experiences harassment not based on a protected category, there is no causation to support an actionable discrimination claim.
The EEOC also stresses that, for workplace harassment to violate the law, not only must it be based on a protected category, but it must also affect a term or condition of employment. The EEOC notes that the federal statutes do not impose general civility codes that cover “run-of-the-mill boorish, juvenile, or annoying behavior” but requires tangible or economic effects.
The guidance also reaffirms that, to be actionable harassment, the conduct must be severe or pervasive and must be viewed in light of the totality of the circumstances. By way of example, the EEOC notes that a loan remark by a co-worker about a female menstruating is insufficient to create an objectively hostile work environment, despite it being offensive.
Finally, in this guidance, the EEOC recognizes an employer’s defense to hostile environment claims where the employer takes prompt remedial action to prevent and correct the harassment and the complaining employee unreasonably fails to use the employer’s complaint procedure or take other steps to minimize the harm from the harassment.

The new Enforcement Guidance is an excellent resource for reviewing the current law on workplace hostile environment and should be very helpful for HR professionals and in-house counsel. Of course, employers should take the time to review current policies and complaint history and make sure they are updated consistent with this guidance. If you need any assistance in evaluating current workplace harassment policies and procedures — or developing new ones — please contact your Foley & Lardner attorney.

Jeffrey S. Kopp

Related insights, five things on the department of labor’s radar for employee benefit plans, navigating the rock & the hard place: conflicting federal and state mandates for lgbtq employees, update: supreme court revises title vii’s decades-old “adverse employment action” standard for discriminatory transfers.

City of Toledo and violence interrupter sued by woman alleging sexual harassment and assault

A former Toledo employee is suing both the city and a violence interrupter after she said she was sexually harassed and assaulted, and the city failed to stop it.

The woman accuses violence interrupter Isaac Miles, her supervisor, of harassing her starting in February 2023. The accusations describe instances of Miles exposing himself to the alleged victim, coercing her into giving him oral sex, forcible kissing, assault and a proposition to have sex with him and the mother of his children under threat of losing her job with the city, leading to quid pro quo.

The accuser said she was terminated by the city after reporting the sexual harassment four times. WTOL 11 does not name people who say they were sexually assaulted unless they choose to publicly come forward.

The lawsuit states the woman reported this behavior four times to several administrators who failed to investigate Miles, including a report to the city's office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and the human resources director in July.

She also alleges Miles interfered in a promotion opportunity and her attempts to transfer jobs so she wouldn't have to work with him and, on at least two occasions, threatened to terminate her job if she did not perform oral sex on him.

She states she was fired in August for falsifying doctor's notes for absence during a week in July.

About a week before she was terminated, the accuser says Miles requested she come to his office and then exposed his penis to her when she arrived, suggesting she perform oral sex on him. She says he then made a sexually harassing comment to her as she left his office.

About 30 minutes later, she says she returned to speak to him and "forcefully grabbed" her "and proceeded to drag her towards" his office while screaming at him to stop. She says she ultimately broke free from his grasp and encountered another supervisor as she fled and told him what happened, to which he allegedly responded, "B----, I didn't see [the Assault]. It didn't happen!"

The woman alleges when she reported Miles' assault and sexual harassment for a fourth time, she was "simply provided ... with the contact information for a therapist's office."

The accuser is requesting a jury trial, a return to a job within the city, and compensatory, monetary and punitive damages in excess of $25,000 per claim. There are seven claims, listed below:

Three counts against the city of Toledo allege gender discrimination, a hostile work environment on the basis of gender discrimination and sexual harassment, and quid pro quo sexual harassment, saying that the city "knew or should have known about Miles's sexual advances" and "failed to remedy Miles's misconduct or stop him from continued acts of sexual harassment."

Two counts against Miles are civil action for criminal acts of gross sexual imposition and civil action for criminal acts of sexual battery.

Two counts against both the city and Miles allege retaliation against her for reporting discrimination and harassment and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Miles has not been charged with any crimes. He provided a statement Friday night in response to the allegations. The accuser's name has been removed from the statement to protect her identity.

" All such claims and allegations made by [the accuser] are completely false. I have always maintained professional standards of the workplace. (An) investigation involving all named parties was conducted and the conclusion of that investigation was that there was no record of any corroborating witnesses as stated by [the accuser]. There was also no record of reports of any such complaints ever being filed against me. Confidential interviews were conducted with each of the accused as well as other supporting witnesses and it was determined that there were no grounds for these claims. [The accuser] previously voiced that 'we(myself and the rest of the team) would have to interrupt her violence' because she was coming for us under the false notion that our actions/dutiful reporting led to her termination. This by the way was also proved by record to be inaccurate. [The accuser] drove by our workplace on several occasions after being terminated threatening myself and other team members yelling from her car window 'y'all gone have to pay for my job being lost.' There are several pieces of documentation that reflect [the accuser's] erratic behavioral patterns and tendency to falsify information. "

The city provided the following statement:

" We take claims of harassment and discrimination very seriously, but due to the ongoing nature of this litigation we can’t comment specifically on this case. "

The accuser's attorney, Fred Bean, has not yet responded to a request for comment.

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File photo of West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose | ANI

Kolkata : The Kolkata police have booked three staffers of Raj Bhavan, including the governor’s officer on special d uty (OSD), for allegedly restraining a woman from filing a sexual harassment complaint against Governor C.V. Ananda Bose on 2 May .

An FIR was filed under IPC sections 341 (wrongful restraint) and 166 (public servant disobeying law) on 15 May at the Hare Street Police Station, according to a police statement issued Friday.

The police have named OSD Sandeep Singh Rajput, pantry staff and assistant Kusum Chhetri and chaprasi (peon) Sant Lal in the FIR. Sources in the police told ThePrint that all three have been served notices to appear before the police Sunday for questioning.

The police also recorded the complainant’s statement before a magistrate Friday under CrPC Section 164 .

On 2 May, the complainant approached a police outpost to file a complaint against the West Bengal governor, alleging she had been “sexually harassed” on two occasions inside Raj Bhavan — allegations the Raj Bhavan dismissed in a statement as an “engineered narrative”.

Speaking to ThePrint, the complainant said, “OSD Sandeep Rajput used to speak very rudely with me, but on 24 April, when the incident took place for the first time, he came to my office around 3.45 pm and spoke very politely, as though he had a change of heart towards me. Now, I think it was part of a plan that his behaviour would irk me and I would go to the governor to complain against him because the governor would keep asking me if there was any problem I was facing.”

Recalling the incident that unfolded on 2 May, the complainant said, “On 2 May, when I took the supervisor with me to speak to the governor, OSD Sandeep Rajput had asked him thrice not to go with me. But I was so scared that I insisted he stay with me when I was meeting the governor. But the governor asked the supervisor to leave midway.”

While reporting the incident, the complainant alleged that she had been restrained from seeking help and approaching the police.

“After I was inappropriately touched by the governor, OSD Rajput along with ADC (aide-de-camp) Manish Joshi brought pantry staff Kusum Chhetri and asked me to calm down. The OSD continuously told me not to speak to anyone about this incident,” the complainant told ThePrint.

She added that Rajput even stopped her from calling her mother. “Kusum Chhetri took my phone away following the OSD’s instructions. ADC Manish Joshi said that the Raj Bhavan vehicle would drop me home. The OSD insisted Chhetri take me to the vehicle and carry my bag and told her that I should not speak to anyone on my way out.”

ThePrint reached Rajput and Chhetri through calls and text messages but failed to get a response. This report will be updated as and when a response is received.

Also Read: Bengal governor ‘harassment’ case: Raj Bhavan hands over CCTV footage to police day after screening

‘Staffers who rushed to help coerced later’

The complainant told ThePrint that those staffers who rushed in and tried to help her were asked to leave the room and she was locked inside.

Since Prime Minister Narendra Modi was scheduled to stay the night at Raj Bhavan on 2 May, there were Special Protection Group (SPG) personnel present at Raj Bhavan, who also wanted to know what was going on. According to the complainant, the OSD responded that it was a “personal matter” .

“Those who came to help me were later coerced by the OSD to seal their lips,” the woman alleged.

She went on to add that following the OSD’s instructions, Chhetri didn’t let go of her bag for a moment. “When I wanted to go to the quarters till the vehicle arrived, she didn’t let me. Instead, she said, I should quietly go home. I was locked up in the ‘peace room’ where I worked at Raj Bhavan,” she recalled while speaking to ThePrint.

Speaking about the peon, who has also been named in the FIR, the complainant said, “The governor had sent Sant Lal. He was very animated and tried to silence me and even shouted at me so that I would keep quiet. But I shouted back, which caught him by surprise and then he spoke softly and said the governor would speak to me later but to keep quiet now.”

Sources in Raj Bhavan said that the OSD Rajput flew out of Kolkata the day the FIR was lodged.

According to Raj Bhavan officials, Rajput was handpicked by the governor as his OSD along with 14 others who are part of his core team. Rajput had been closely associated with Governor Bose for years before joining him in Kolkata.

(Edited by Richa Mishra)

Also Read: Amid harassment allegations, Bengal Governor to show CCTV clip to 100 people. Mamata, cops not invited

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CV Ananda Bose
Kolkata Police
sexual harassment
West Bengal

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