Sexual Harassment of Women, Essay Example

Sexual harassment is when people show undesirable behavior towards other individuals they are attracted to by forcibly showing sexual advancements. There are many causes for this type of behavior; they include power games where some men may feel threatened by women at work and try to prove themselves by harassing women. Morality and cultural differences may cause harassment, whereas people who are used to getting sex easily may end up as harassers when they are rejected. Men in groups often display acts of bravado, which may lead to harassing women walking past them. An unconducive work environment arises when an employee encounters unwelcome verbal or physical act of sexual nature that interferes with their working conditions. While the previous is straightforward, the latter happens in several forms. For instance, some workplace behaviors such as touching genitals or breasts, kissing, and butt slapping may be considered sexual harassment. Uninvited messages, extreme comments, catcalls, sexually triggering gestures, and ogling constitute sexual harassment. Since customers, business partners, and vendors may also initiate sexual harassment, employers must take the initiatives to curb them. Victims of sexual harassment suffer the most and may encounter repressed anger and depression. However, it initiates other workplace issues such as financial and physical problems. The victim performs less efficiently in the workplace because of the psychological and physical implications of sexual harassment. When it happens repeatedly, colleague workers may take it as a norm. Eventually, it creates organizational problems where departments encounter higher employee turnover.

Gender attitudes and practices need to be addressed when tackling the problem of sexual harassment. There are different attitudes people have regarding the different sexes. Some men see women as weak and may end up attacking them because of this reason. Some women are also insecure and lack confidence in their strengths and abilities; hence do not fight back when harassed, for example, in workplaces. This gives the harasser strength to keep repeating the act. Therefore there should be a change in attitudes to avoid the problem. Organizations should engage in training programs to teach their employees their institutional policies and laws regarding sexual harassment and complaint filling measures should one become a victim. Bystander involvement training may also boost accountability where employees speak up when they encounter sexual harassment involving their colleagues. Organizations should embrace sexual harassment training initiatives that incorporate training, pre-training, and post-training constituents at the personal and group levels (Smith, 2018). random employee survey of the company before training helps identify the instances of sexual harassment. Training should be interactive and include numerous training methods such as videos and lectures. After training, follow-up should incorporate knowledge valuation tests and yearly refresher courses. A victorious training initiative results in increased complaints regarding the matter as employees feel empowered to report incidents of sexual harassment.

Some institutions and systems predispose people to dangerous gender norms. In sales jobs, women may be pressured by some employers to comply with clients when asked to meet sexual demands. The lack of policies on the issue in some companies is also a predisposing factor for sexual harassment. Women are also regarded as sexual objects in jobs and are often known to use sex to advance in their careers. This norm by some women has led to others being profiled in the same way. Therefore To stop the menace, such norms should not exist.

Question Four

Since harassment affects both men and women, both sexes should be engaged. Women should be taught ways of standing up for themselves against harassers. Clear policies regarding the issue should also be set and implemented. The men should also be addressed and taught better ways to approach women and educate them on the damage it causes women. Gender attitudes should also be changed through education of both sexes that will help them see themselves differently. If the justice system is engaged, they may help stop the behavior by making sure harassers face the consequences for their actions.

This community has some potential challenges that may make it hard to combat the problem. In the community, there are a lot of gender stereotypes towards women; hence people take advantage of them. The justice system is also a problem as the perpetrators are not held accountable for their actions. When such challenges are tackled, then the harassment can end.

References

Barreiro, S. 2022. What Kinds of Behaviors are Considered Sexual Harassment? https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/what-kinds-of-behaviors-are-considered-sexual-harassment.html

Smith, L.B. 2018. What it Really Takes to Stop Sexual Harassment. https://www.apa.org/monitor/2018/02/sexual-harassment.