Men, Women and Sexual HarassmentIs this really what this world has come to mistaking a friendly co-worker for sexual harassment? Women who are starving for attention often exaggerate sexual harassment issues. It could be understood if this harassing behavior results in “quid pro quo,” a “hostile working environment” or causing a reduced salary. Essentially “quid pro quo” harassment involves making conditions of employment (hiring, promotion, retention, etc. ) contingent on the victims providing sexual favors.
As for hostile working environment, this is when the workplace is permeated with discriminatory intimidation, ridicule, and insult, that is sufficiently pervasive to alter the conditions of the victim’s employment and create an abusive working environment. But as for being made so unhappy that they are not able to function well in their job, this is just a personal, psychological problem. When these employees sue a company, they are out to get two things, money and publicity. Most sexual harassment cases are inaccurate.
This usually depends on who the person is, ones upbringing and how ethical one is. Charges can be brought against someone commenting on how a co-worker looks that day. This has just gotten too out of hand. These comments that are made by fellow employees are most likely trying to make the so-called “victim” feel better about themselves or boost their self esteem.
But instead a man, or a woman for that matter, would be accused of sexual harassment when they are just being polite and maybe a little flirtatious. The typical American citizen would disagree entirely. Many different studies have attempted to investigate the frequency and prevalence of sexual harassment. Surveys provide widely divergent statistics, indicating that anywhere from 30 to 70 percent of women have experienced some form of sexual harassment at some point in their lives. This wide range may be due in part to the fact that perceptions of what constitutes sexual harassment differ among individuals and among men and women. That is, what some people might consider acceptable behavior, others might think of as sexual harassment.
Typical examples of sexual harassment include sexually oriented gestures, jokes, or remarks that are unwelcome, repeated and unwanted sexual advances, touching or other unwelcome bodily contact, and physical intimidation. Sexual harassment usually makes the receiver feel powerless or demeaned, which results in negative self-esteem. Sexual harassment is perceived as one-sided and invading and is illegal, as opposed to flirting which leaves one feeling flattered and in control and results in positive self-esteem. There are many times where these sexual harassment cases become somewhat out of hand and are directed either towards the wrong people or unjust incidents. By far, men (50-67%) do the majority of sexual harassment. Laws and guidelines are often written as if sexual harassment is only a male to female thing.
Although, two hundred men file sexual harassment charges each year with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. That is about one-tenth of the number of cases filed by women. According to Wall Street Journal, a 1987 survey of federal workers by the United States Merit Systems Protection Board found that 42% of the women and 14% of the men had reported such harassment. In the article “Sexual Harassment at High Schools” found in San Francisco Chronicle claimed that 85% of the girls and 76% of the boys reported some experience of sexual harassment in school. Note that various categories of harassment are given, in most cases girls are only slightly higher than boys are. According to Shawn Larson in his article, “Sexual Harassment: It’s Always The Guy’s Fault” found on the Internet, a survey was conducted at his former college where some of the issues dealt with sexual harassment.
One-third of the students who said they were sexually harassed were men. Which makes this number very surprising is that women made up only one-fifth of the student population. That is one-fifth of the students who were causing one-third of the problem (ignoring homosexual harassment). Yet the men were ignored; a campaign was initiated on how to stop the harassment of women. More men will experience sexual harassment over the coming years as women assume more positions of power in corporate America.
Continual studies and reports will need to be monitored and researched to establish the full extent of sexual harassment of both sexes in the work placeWords/ Pages : 771 / 24
