Treating people with respect, regardless of their status, gender or race is the pillar of any relationship, professional or personal. Once someone disrespects another person, either by insulting them, using them, making unwelcome sexual advances, or some other unacceptable behavior, that relationship is broken, sometimes for good. Although civilization has come a long way in terms of equality, we still hear reports of harassment from all around.
One of the most appalling and disturbing types of aggression is sexual harassment, and it happens literally everywhere: at school, in the street, at work. Even though we’re all well aware of the legal repercussions, some people seem impervious to common sense and choose to molest coworkers. In many cases, the victim keeps silent out of fear. However, recent movements such as #MeToo have encouraged many people to break the silence and speak up about this highly important issue. Go to https://www.sexualharassmentprevention.net/what-is-the-danger-of-ignoring-workplace-sexual-harassment to learn more.
Typical Manifestations
When we think about sexual harassment, the image that usually comes to mind is that of a male who abuses his position of power by hitting on a subordinate female. This is only one manifestation of harassment; sometimes, males are the victims, and aggression can also be directed towards the same sex. Unfortunately, many try to disguise their sociopathic tendencies with friendly and pleasant behavior, so you can never be sure where the danger lies.
Sexual favors for benefit has been a workplace practice since the beginning of time. This is otherwise known as “quid pro quo” in Latin, or exchanging favors. A typical example is situation when the employer, manager, or supervisor promises a raise or promotion to an employee in exchange for sex. Or, they threaten to fire the worker if they don’t sleep with them. These are clear illustrations of the power of authority in the workplace.
Sometimes harassment doesn’t involve any favors at all, and then it becomes an incredibly traumatic experience for the victim. Known as hostile harassment, it’s a situation where the abuser uses crude and inappropriate remarks, jokes, comments, touching, or even rape. It can come from someone in a higher position, maybe a peer, coworker, or customer. This behavior is not always apparent; sometimes abusers employ very subtle methods of demeaning their prey, and others might not have a clue about what’s going on.
The Consequences
The critical thing to remember is that both types of behavior are illegal and should be reported immediately. Silence will make the perpetrator believe they have the upper hand, so they have no reason to stop their actions. The only solution is to prevent the abuse if possible or raise your voice if any unwelcome advance occurs.
Unwelcome sexual aggression can have potentially devastating effects on the victim. They can suffer physically, emotionally, or psychologically, and the consequences are often felt long after the traumatic experience. By communicating the issue as soon as possible and revealing the identity of the abuser, the victim spreads awareness about it and helps prevent similar practices in the future.
Young and inexperienced employees are sometimes too vulnerable and insecure to protest. They might feel desperate to stay employed, so they’ll do whatever is necessary to keep the job. But, if this relationship continues long enough, the worker will feel trapped and controlled by the superior, thinking there’s no way out. This can result in long-lasting psychological trauma that is often hard to cure.
Dealing With the Issue
The employer’s responsibility is to provide adequate training to inform all staff members about the dangers of sexual harassment. It is simply too widespread to ignore it, and no one is immune to it. The more information the employees have, the more protected they’ll be in the future.
By undergoing harassment prevention training, everyone will learn to make the difference between acceptable and unacceptable behavior. You should click here for more information. People will realize the importance of timely reporting and singling out dangerous individuals. It will increase the overall safety inside the company and lead to a much more relaxed and productive atmosphere.
Besides being informative, training should be a highly engaging and lively experience. An interactive presentation that involves video content and real-life examples will achieve much better results than an old-fashioned lecture that will bore your employees to death. For instance, dramatizing a realistic encounter between an abuser and a victim is one great way of showing how damaging sexual harassment can be.
As you can imagine, the main objective is to create a safe, productive, and enjoyable workplace where no one will feel threatened or abused. By eradicating this behavior from the premises, businesses also reduce the risk of lawsuits and increase profits by boosting productivity. Preserving an excellent reputation is everything in the modern business climate, and having a healthy workplace speaks volumes about your organization.