Sexual Harassment

Sexual Harassment

SEXUAL HARASSMENT

Narendra Bendi

1

Sexual Harassment

Table of Contents Page no:

1. Overview 03

2. Introduction 04

3. Statistics 04

4. Range of Behavior and Circumstances 05

5. Common Effects 08

6. Evolution of Sexual Harassment Law in U.S. 09

7. Cures for Sexual Harassment 11

8. Conclusion 13

9. Appendix 13

10. References 16

2

Sexual Harassment

Overview

The problem of sexual harassment is increasing "coming out of the closet". Companies

have started to realize that the problem is real and some managers admit that it can affect

their staff; more victims are finding courage to complain. And with recent legislations,

victims do have legal way. Still, most people do not fully understand the problem, its

causes, its consequences, or its extent. And more difficult question is: How does one

deals with such behavior? Before answering this question, I shall define Ð''sexual

harassment' and give the statistics, consider the types of harassment and its common

effects on victims and organizations, discuss evolutions of Sexual Harassment Law in

U.S. Everyone, should have significant knowledge on this issue, which inurn helps both

the companies as well as the individuals to address this insidious and destructive

problem.

3

Sexual Harassment

Introduction

Sexual Harassment is defined as "a continuum of behaviors that intimidate,

demean, humiliate or coerce. These behaviors range from the subtle forms that can

accumulate into a hostile working, learning, or worshipping environment to the most

severe forms of stalking, assault or rape." (2004 Book of Resolutions, p.151) It has been

suggested that the term sexual harassment was coined in 1974 at Cornell University;

however, it was the United States Supreme Court confirmation hearing of Clarence

Thomas and Anita Hill's testimony, which brought the issue to national attention in the

United States. For many businesses, preventing sexual harassment, and defending its

managerial employees from sexual harassment charges, has become key goals of legal

decision making. In contrast, many scholars complain that sexual harassment in

education remains a "forgotten secret," with educators and administrators refusing to

admit the problem exist in their schools, or accept their legal and ethical responsibilities

to deal with it. (Dziech, 1990)

Statistics

Sexual Harassment in the Workplace:

In Fiscal Year 2006, EEOC (U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) received

12,025 charges of sexual harassment. 15.4% of those charges were filed by males. EEOC

resolved 11,936 sexual harassment charges in FY 2006 and recovered $48.8 million in

monetary benefits for charging parties and other aggrieved individuals (not including

monetary benefits obtained through litigation). Media and government surveys estimate

the percentage of women being sexually harassed in the U.S. workplace at 40% to 60%.

4

Sexual Harassment

Sexual Harassment in Education:

In 2006 study on sexual harassment by the American Association of University Women

(AAUW) at colleges and universities, it was reported that 62% of female college students

and 61% of male college students report having been sexually harassed at their

university, with 80% of the reported harassment being peer-to-peer. Fifty-one percent of

male college students admit to sexually harassing someone in college, with 22%

admitting to harassing someone often or occasionally. Thirty-one percent of female

college students admitted to harassing someone in college.

Range of Behavior and circumstances

Sexual harassment can occur in a variety of circumstances:

Ð'* The harasser can be anyone, such as a supervisor, a client, a co-worker, a teacher

or professor, a student, a friend, or a stranger.

Ð'* The victim does not have to be the person directly harassed but can be anyone

who finds the behavior offensive and is affected by it.

Ð'* While adverse effects on the victim are common, this does not have to be the case

for the behavior to be unlawful.

Ð'* The victim can be a male or female. The harasser can be male or female.

Ð'* The harasser does not have to be of the opposite sex.

Ð'* The harasser may be