essay against sexual harassment

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.

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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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Essay on Sexual Harassment

Students are often asked to write an essay on Sexual Harassment in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Sexual Harassment

Understanding sexual harassment.

Sexual harassment is a serious issue. It involves unwanted sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, or other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature. It can occur in various settings like schools, workplaces, and public places.

Impact of Sexual Harassment

Victims of sexual harassment may experience emotional distress, fear, and anxiety. It can impact their work or school performance and overall well-being. It’s crucial to stand against it and support victims.

Preventing Sexual Harassment

Education is key to preventing sexual harassment. Understanding consent and respecting boundaries can help. Also, schools and workplaces should have strict policies against it.

250 Words Essay on Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment, a pervasive societal issue, is an unwelcome behavior of a sexual nature that can undermine an individual’s personal dignity and safety. It is a manifestation of power imbalance, often occurring in environments such as workplaces, educational institutions, and public spaces.

The Types of Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment can be categorized into two types: ‘quid pro quo’ and ‘hostile environment’. ‘Quid pro quo’ refers to instances where job benefits are made contingent on sexual favors. ‘Hostile environment’ includes any unwelcome sexual behavior that creates an intimidating or offensive atmosphere.

The impact of sexual harassment is profound, often leading to psychological, physical, and occupational consequences. It can cause anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder among victims, disrupt their work or academic performance, and even lead to job loss or dropout.

Addressing Sexual Harassment

Addressing sexual harassment necessitates a comprehensive approach. It involves creating awareness, implementing stringent laws, and promoting a culture of respect. Education plays a crucial role in fostering understanding about consent and the importance of treating all individuals with dignity.

Sexual harassment is a grave issue that requires collective effort to combat. By fostering a culture of respect and implementing strong legal measures, society can create a safe environment for all individuals. The fight against sexual harassment is not just a legal battle, but a moral one that shapes the fabric of our society.

500 Words Essay on Sexual Harassment

Introduction.

Sexual harassment, a pervasive issue in society, is a form of gender-based violence that infringes upon an individual’s fundamental rights. It is a complex phenomenon that transcends all social, economic, and cultural boundaries, manifesting in various forms such as unwelcome sexual advances, verbal or physical harassment, and requests for sexual favors.

Sexual harassment is characterized by its unwelcome nature, where the victim feels uncomfortable, threatened, or violated. It is crucial to understand that it is the impact on the victim, not the intent of the perpetrator, that determines whether an act constitutes harassment. This behavior can occur in various settings, including workplaces, educational institutions, and public spaces, and can have severe psychological, physical, and socio-economic effects on the victim.

The Legal Perspective

From a legal standpoint, sexual harassment is recognized as a violation of human rights. Numerous international conventions and national laws, such as Title VII of the Civil Rights Act in the U.S. or the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act in India, have been enacted to protect individuals from such behavior. These laws aim to maintain a safe and respectful environment for all, emphasizing the importance of consent and respect in interpersonal relationships.

The Societal Impact

The societal impact of sexual harassment is profound. It perpetuates gender inequality, inhibits social development, and undermines the dignity and potential of the victims. The fear and stigma associated with sexual harassment often discourage victims from reporting, leading to underreporting and a lack of justice. This silence further emboldens the perpetrators and perpetuates a culture of impunity.

Preventive Measures and Solutions

Addressing sexual harassment requires a comprehensive approach. Education plays a critical role in prevention, with emphasis on teaching respect, consent, and gender equality from a young age. Institutions must also implement strict anti-harassment policies, provide safe reporting mechanisms, and ensure that complaints are taken seriously and dealt with promptly.

Furthermore, it is essential to foster an environment that supports victims and encourages them to speak out. This requires challenging societal norms that blame victims and perpetuate silence. Instead, society should focus on holding perpetrators accountable for their actions.

Sexual harassment is a grave violation of human rights and a significant barrier to achieving gender equality. Despite its pervasive nature, it is not inevitable. Through education, legislation, and societal change, it is possible to create a world where everyone is treated with respect and dignity. The responsibility to combat sexual harassment lies with all of us, and it is through collective action that we can effect meaningful change.

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Sexual Harassment - Free Essay Examples And Topic Ideas

Sexual harassment is a widespread problem that primarily affects women in various settings. Sexual harassment essay examples serve as powerful reminders of the prevalence of this harmful behavior and the need for change. By working together and sharing information through argumentative essays about sexual harassment, people can raise awareness and tackle important issues.

The criminal justice system plays a crucial role in addressing sexual harassment. Exploring the legal framework and the challenges faced by survivors can be an interesting theme for research papers and essay topics. Also, understanding how such a phenomenon impacts someone’s family and community helps to grasp the far-reaching consequences of such behavior.

When writing a research paper on sexual harassment, it’s important to have a clear structure. It means that creating an outline can be immensely helpful. The essay introduction and conclusion need to provide context and highlight the significance of the topic. There should also be well-thought-out titles. They should not only reflect the main essence of the topic but also spark the reader’s curiosity. A well-structured essay consists of various sections, each paragraph contributing to the overall coherence and flow of ideas. Also, do not forget to provide a strong thesis statement. It guides the paper and sets the main argument.

By addressing these important components, you can effectively shed light on the complexities of sexual harassment. You can also emphasize the need for change and advocate for a society free of such pervasive violence. In partnership, we can work to create a safer and more inclusive environment for all.

Army: Sexual Harassment

Since 2008, the Army has implemented the Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention program to ""prevent incidents of sexual harassment and sexual assault before they occur."" SHARP is one of the most important programs in the Army. Not only is it a tool for training and education, it aids countless victims in reporting incidents of sexual harassment and assault. It has come a long way in two decades, with its origins in SAPR and POSH. SHARP holds command teams accountable for […]

Sexual Harassment in a Workplace

Introduction According to human rights, sexual harassment is unexpected sexual behavior which could possibly make an individual feel intimidated, humiliated or offended. It can be written, verbal or physical. Workers across the world face this kind of an issue. Many argue that sexual harassment only happens but this perception is wrong, a survey that was conducted shows that 21% of the males were reported to have undergone sexual harassment in the workplace. The frequency of such occurrence ranges from 35 […]

Why does the Number of Sexual Assaults Continue to Increase Throughout the Army?

The word SHARP is getting more popular in the media every year. Due to the high increase cases in the army. During the past years the statistics are significantly changing. Based on the “Department of the Defense annual report on sexual assault on the military 2017 fiscal year”. Have significant changes on the statistics, on this last fiscal year was an increment on the reports for 597 more reports than fiscal year 2016. The sexual assault is going to keep […]

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Sexual Harassment and Assault Response Program SHARP

In our Army today we are continuously talking to our soldiers both old and new about the infamous SHARP (Sexual Harassment / Assault Response Program). The question now comes down to why? Why are we always conducting the same training every quarter, every year in every unit, duty station, location, and MOS? The Army has had this program implemented throughout its ranks. I would say it’s because they have become tired of seeing “America’s Greatest Fighting Force” negatively affected and […]

Sexual Assault/Sexual Harassment in the Military

Sexual Harassment is a real and frequently recurring problem, both in the Military and in the Civilian World. You can't really put a number on the amount of cases because some victims don't realize they are being victimize. Why is sexual harassment and assault a big issue? What is being done to minimize these events? And how can sharp incident bring morale, and unit cohesion down? In this essay I'm going to detail the role being victimized, also what the […]

Effort to Improve Handling and Training on Sexual Assault in Army

More soldiers are presenting themselves in the army for help and reporting on sexual harassment and assaults after the army increased its efforts to train and handle these issues. It is said that the number of sexual assaults being reported is rising.  This could be attributed to the strong resolve of the army to get do away with the sexual assault problem. The confidence of the soldiers in fighting this problem is increasing both in their units and in the […]

The American Press and Sexual Harassment

Will there be a before and after Harvey Weinstein affair? The revelation by the American press of edifying testimonials about sexual harassment, practiced for years by the Hollywood producer with regard to many actresses, has provoked a spectacular liberation of women's speech, in the United States and elsewhere. The reaction has taken unprecedented proportions on social networks. In France, on Twitter, the rapidity with which has spread the hashtag #balancetonporc says a lot about anger that is finally expressed. Some […]

About Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

In 2012, federal court jurors listened as Ani Chopourian described the sexual harassment she endured as cardiac surgery physician assistant at a Sacramento hospital. One surgeon greeted her each morning with “I’m horny” and slapped her bottom. Another surgeon called her a “stupid chick” and said she performed surgery “like a little girl”. Jurors ultimately awarded her $168 million, the largest judgment for a single victim of workplace harassment in United States history (Gerdeman, 2018). Sexual harassment remains a problem […]

What is the Importance of Professionalism?

What is the importance of professionalism? The first question we should be asking is, what is professionalism? Professionalism is most commonly described as acting like a professional. A professional is defined “ characterized by or or conforming to the technical or ethical standards of a profession. So to be a professional you must act professional. This is applied in almost every job anywhere. According to the APS ( the Association for Psychological Science) it takes only 60 seconds for someone […]

Sexual Harassment in Society

"I am not your dog that you whistle for; I'm not a stray animal you call over, and I am not, I never have been, nor will I ever be, your "baby"." (Jennings, 13). Everyday millions of people are going through their days with the degrading weight of sexual harassment constantly surrounding them. Although it is known that women, men, and people of all ages have the possibility of experiencing some form of sexual harassment, many do not know that […]

Sexual Harassment: One of the Biggest Problems

One of the biggest problems with sexual harassment is that it is often goes unnoticed. The victims of sexual harassment do not always realize what's happening to them until things get out of control. Sexual harassment in the workplace is a real and widespread issue that must be dealt with effectively. Sexual harassment involves unwanted and unwarranted sexual contact in any kind, it can occur to anyone of any race, gender, or sexual orientation. The purpose of my Research Paper […]

Practices to Reduce Sexual Assault in Army

Every 98 seconds, another American is sexually assaulted. It is a plague on our society and within our military. The Department of Defense is constantly revising and implementing new ideas and plans to intervene and prevent sexual assault from occurring. It is vital to keep soldiers informed and knowledgeable about sexual assault awareness throughout their career so as to have an effective and strong team to ensure safety within our nations fighting force. There is no one specific reason that […]

Intercultural Experience Proposal on Sexual Harassment

The social problem I chose to do my paper on is sexual harassment. Sexual harassment is a pervasive problem throughout the world. Harassment can include unwanted sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other physical harassment of nature. Harassment doesn't always have to be physical, it can include offensive comments or suggestions. It can happen anywhere at anytime. For people my age, it is extremely important to know how critical sexual harassment is on college campuses, especially when college students […]

Sexual Harassment and Long-term Effects

Sexual harassment: "unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical constitute sexual harassment". This is what is defined as sexual harassment in Ohio. There are many different reasons you or another person could be accused of sexual harassment. For example, some of the simplest reasons can be insulting a woman, "exposing oneself [public nudity] or performing sexual acts on oneself", or just unwanted physical contact. These offenses might not seem as bad as you might have […]

Sexual Harassment in the Work Place and Gender Inequality

Abbas, Sammar. "All Males Are the Same: Exploring Workplace Harassment of Female Employees." Pakistan Journal of Women's Studies, vol. 24, no. 24, 2017, pp. 47-65. EBSCOhost, http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.libproxy.ung.edu/eds/detail/detail?vid=6&sid=735b46f2-7f65-434d-8b37-4967f7b3929f%40sessionmgr4009&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l0ZQ%3d%3d#db=sih&AN=127020504 Abbas, in "All Males Are the Same: Exploring Workplace Harassment of Female Employees," addresses the issue of workplace sexual harassment towards females, which is common in many countries, specifically the Middle East. The article explores how workplace sexual harassment towards women contributes to the cause of gender inequality. Abbas supports his claim with […]

What are the Mental Effects of Sexual Harassment?

There are many facets of Sexual Harassment including stalking, unwelcome calls, and the act of someone asking for sexual favors in order to get a reward. Sexual Harassment is the act of a perpetrator penalizing a victim and basically bothering them to get what they what. Sexual Harassment is when someone who might have low confidence in themselves wants what another has. So they stalk, call, annoy, follow, and harass an innocent person. Sexual Harassment can occur anywhere. Sexual Harassment […]

Sexual Assault in the Military and how Fix it

Bystanders intervention can play a massive roll in deterring sexual assault / harassment within the Army. With battle buddies watching out for one while they party in the barracks with a direct approach. Talking to the chain of command about what you witness and let them handle the situation to the best of their ability. If you feel like these would not be the solution to the problem, Soldiers can always talk to the SHARP representative. With these easy steps, […]

Impact of Sexual Harassment And/or Assault

It is a fact of life that in the imperfect world we live in, sexual harassment and/or assault can affect anyone and everyone. While anyone can be victimized, it is well known that most cases of sexual offenses occur by men taking advantage of women. (1) This is not to say that female victims are any more important or that their abusers are more heinous, but that their abuse is more frequent. Obviously, it is impossible to completely eliminate rape […]

Term Limits Based off of Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment is harassment, in both men or women, in a professional or social situation, involving the making of unwanted sexual advances or obscene remarks. Many people put sexual assault and sexual harassment. "Sexual harassment is unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature where as sexaul assault is theis intentional sexual contact, characterized by use of force, threats, intimidation, abuse of authority or when the victim does not or cannot […]

How Culture Can Breed Sexual Harassment in the Academy

Introduction In higher education, relationships of trust and confidence that are built outside of the classroom are often just as important as those built inside of the classroom. Whether the out-of-classroom experiences are receptions for consequential events, conferences, networking events (e.g., meet-and-greet), work in a laboratory, and/or field research, among other academic experiences, a trusting relationship established between student and professor is often an important part of a student's academic success; thus, such a healthy dynamic needs to be maintained. […]

Term Paper Sexual Harassment

If you've ever watched an episode of the hit TV show The Office, starring Steve Carell and heard the, "That's what she said," joke, you might be surprised that it is a perfect example of sexual harassment. Now it might be funny to some, but to others this can make them feel uncomfortable or even taken as an offense. Now, what is sexual harassment? In 1964 the civil acts right was passed with the purpose to end segregation and discrimination […]

Bystander Intervention to Battle Sexual Assault/harassment in your Unit/10th Mountain Division/Army

IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING BECAUSE IT’S ON US. Bystander intervention is a strategy for the prevention of different types of violence, including sexual harassment and sexual assault. The fact that people will see something but not say anything based off of a reaction they get from others. Bystander intervention can battle sexual assault by increasing the awareness of all soldiers army wide and by encouraging them and showing them ways to interfere with sexual assault. It could also […]

Relationship and Gender and Sexual Harassment

Abstract This study was about sexual harassment, and the impact of gendered perception. More closely Perpetrators' relationship with the victim on their perception of sexual harassment. A case study was discussed on the basis of which the whole study was conducted. The data collection method for this study was survey questionnaire, in which people were asked to give views about their perception regarding sexual harassment and which act of perpetrators is considered sexual harassment. It was predicted that females were […]

Sexual Harassment and how to Stop it

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 […]

Analysis of Sexual Harassment of Women

Women constitute half the humanity. Despite being endowed with certain peculiar features both physical and temperamental, men and women are complementary to each other. Their diverse physical and temperamental qualities together form a complete race. Hence, logically both should have equal status. The Indian concept of Ardhanarishwara very well depicts this view. Ardhanarishwara divides himself/ herself in the form of Adipurush (Male) and Prakriti (Female) for the task of creation. None of them can perform task without the involvement of […]

Ethics and Sexual Harassment: why is it Wrong

As we know, ethics “is the study of choices people make regarding right or wrong” (Ruggiero, page 2). Every person has different opinions, driven by their morals, values, and beliefs, about different things. This makes it hard to distinguish a line between what is right and what is wrong in the world. Opinions are formed by social influence. Your parents, peers, teachers, churches, and communities all affect the way you think about certain things. There is always a counterargument to […]

How Current Military Approach Reduces the Risk of Sexual Assault

Fight or Flight? It is flight, fight, or freeze in crisis mode. The freeze response is a typical reaction to danger, particularly common among sexual assault survivors. Sexual assault is a form of violence and is fundamentally about power and control. It happens because perpetrators exert power over the survivor and put their desires over the survivor’s agency to consent. In this essay I will analyze why sexual assault occurs, how current military approach reduces the risk of such crimes, […]

Sexual Harassment in School

Sexual harassment can happen at any workplace, doesn’t matter what the job is. It can happen at a minimum wage paying job or at a salary based profession. The profession I will be tackling today is students in all educational levels with teachers, coaches or professors in a school setting. Students can be in college, after school programs, elementary, high school or even pre-school. Truth is anyone can be a victim of sexual harassment weather it be a male or […]

Gender Inequality and Sexual Harassment

Attitudes regarding men’s violence against women shape gender inequality and also the sense of responses to this violence by the victim and others around. This is why we see many violence prevention campaigns media advertisements and social awareness. Attitudes and behaviors shape violence in several domains including culture, gender, institutional response to violence, women’s own responses to victimization and more. Gender role attitudes and their forced upholding play a major role regarding violence towards women [1]. From a young age, […]

Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

Sexual harassment in the workplace has been a significant issue that many organizations around the world are grappling with. There have been numerous court cases regarding such issues. Notably, the issue is considered the newest form of gender discrimination in the workplace. In fact, many companies have had to pay substantial amounts of money to victims of sexual assault. Veterans Affairs Clinic (VA) is also one of such organizations, and the organization has revealed several issues about sexual harassment (Stockwell, […]

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Essay About Sexual Harassment The act of sexual harassment has many faces which are: unwanted sexual advances, telling a person if you do this you’ll get that, and other spoken or physical acts. The harasser can be of any gender and also prey on any gender. A lot of victims have relations with their Harasser; they can be the person's boss, supervisor person they work with, just a family friend, and they can even be their significant other. Sexual harassment does not always have to directed at a certain person. For example, negative comments about “women groups/activist” or even saying another gender is lesser is considered sexual harassment. The Equal Opportunity that most companies use has to deal with situations like this. Our government laws do not really cover teasing and subliminal comments but, they can be upsetting and cause emotional problems for people. Sexual harassment can occur in many different circumstances. The main thing people need to know is that it can happen to men too. Women are not the only victims it’s just that women speak out more on it. Acts to look out for to see that harassment is happening: This for that Jokes talking about sexual acts sexual preference. Unwanted physical contact. Unwanted flirting. Talking about sexual dreams Feeling pressured to engage with someone sexually. Touching yourself in front of others. Unwanted sexually explicit photos, emails, or “sext” messages Many companies/Schools have been fighting against sexual misconduct as a whole for a long time by implements rules like forbidding sexual relationships between coworkers, or a boss and his/her subordinates. The reason for this is because it can happen anywhere and if issues arise it can be difficult for a company, even for a school. It can happen in many different scenarios, including after-hours conversations, hanging out in the hallways, and lounge area settings of employees or peers. Sexual harassment should never be overlooked. These acts can affect people in many ways. When in school walking around or just sitting down this can happen, there is zero-tolerance acts in effect. There are many avenues you can take to get help against predators. One hotline is:  Rainn (rape, abuse, incest, national network) hotline o 800.656.HOPE (4673)  Local church  Hospital  Friends Be safe and take care, we all need each other.

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Home — Essay Samples — Law, Crime & Punishment — Crime — Sexual Harassment

Essays on Sexual Harassment

Hook examples for sexual harassment essays, anecdotal hook.

Imagine a world where every individual can live, work, and study free from the fear of harassment, where respect and dignity are the cornerstones of every interaction. As we delve into the critical topic of sexual harassment, let's confront the issue head-on and explore ways to create a safer, more inclusive society.

Quotation Hook

""No one should have to endure sexual harassment. It's time we all take a stand to end it."" These words, spoken by survivors and advocates, highlight the urgency of addressing sexual harassment. Join me as we examine the impact of harassment and the steps toward prevention and justice.

The Prevalence of Silence Hook

Sexual harassment thrives in silence and secrecy. Explore the culture of silence that often surrounds harassment, the factors that contribute to it, and the importance of breaking this cycle through open dialogue and support.

Harassment's Impact on Mental Health Hook

Sexual harassment takes a toll not only on physical well-being but also on mental health. Analyze the psychological effects of harassment, including anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder, and the need for support and healing.

The Role of Education and Awareness Hook

Education and awareness are powerful tools in the fight against sexual harassment. Delve into the importance of comprehensive sexual education, consent education, and workplace training programs in preventing and addressing harassment.

Empowering Survivors Hook

Survivors of sexual harassment often find strength in their stories. Investigate how empowerment, support networks, and legal avenues can help survivors seek justice, heal, and become advocates for change.

A Call to Action Hook

It's time to take action against sexual harassment. Explore the initiatives, policies, and societal shifts necessary to create environments where harassment is not tolerated, and every person is treated with respect and dignity.

Victim Blaming in Cases of Sexual Assault

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Romantic Harassment for Women

The issue of sexual harassment at workplace, the definition and examples of sexual harassment, critical analysis of me too movement, let us write you an essay from scratch.

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Gender Equality and Sexual Harassment Issue

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Army’s Sexual Harassment/assault Response and Prevention Program "Sharp"

The issue of sexual harassment in the nurse's workplace and the solutions to the problem, understanding the concept of sexual harassment in the workplace, a research on the issue of sexual harassment in india and nepal, army sharp program: the role of sexual harassment and assault in army, the effect of hostilities on the number of sexual assaults, problem sexual assaults on college campuses, sexual harassment and its effects on people, sharp influence of sexual harrasment, sexual assault: cases on campus, sexual assault in the army: why the numbers are still increasing, the problem of sexual violence in india, sexual assault and harassment in correlation with combat arms, the second front of the army: sexual violence, social movements reflection: metoo movement, sexual harassment and physical violence in sports, why canada is not a better country than it was, the issue of workplace sexual harassment in mcdonald’s, the problem of sexual harassment in law enforcement, usa gymnastics sex abuse scandal with larry nassar, relevant topics.

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Sexual Harassment: Issue Analysis Essay

One of the central problems of modernity is considered to be related to the sexual harassment faced in the spheres of business and education. It is necessary to stress that sexual harassment is a growing social problem to be suffered by millions of employees and members of institutions; sexual harassment is considered to be a sex discrimination form violating employees’ freedom through unwelcome sexual advances and favors requests. (Sexual Harassment, 2009)

The cases of sexual harassment are usually predetermined by unethical behavior on the part of employers towards their employees. Ethical norms predetermined in business sphere cover various moral sanctions and obligations on the part of top management representatives. According to the ethical norms and standards to be followed at every company, chief representatives are to develop special harassment policies in order to present unethical behavior of employees and hostile working atmosphere. (Bowie, & Beauchamp, 2009) It should be noted that business ethical norms providing moral sanctions raise lead to powerful incentives for employees.

Hostile environment of sexual harassment takes place when sexual conduct leads to the creation of offensive and intimidating environment. It is necessary to stress that sometimes harassment has pervasive and severe manner completely altering the conditions of employment; the analysis of sexual harassment environment is to be based on the examination of basic plaintiffs:

• The person is subject to severe sexual harassment;
• The harassment is characterized as pervasive changing the employment conditions and creating abusive environment;
• Harassment is related to sex;
• Hostile environment is caused by the priority of the employer over employee having oppressing character.

The identification of sexual harassment spreading within the working or education atmosphere can be predetermined by the following causes: physical contact leading to uncomfortable atmosphere; inappropriate language disclosing obscene jokes to co-workers, students, employees; inappropriate characteristics as to sexual behavior or physical characteristics of the person; unwelcome solicitations; the disclosure of various materials of abusive and discriminating character, such as pornography, pictures, etc; the discussion of sexual orientation through jokes and anecdotes; punitive behavior as to the workers considering sexual nature approach unwelcome.

It should be stressed that the promotion of sexual harassment problem within business and education structures is closely connected with insufficient management and policies development; it is the problem of the whole society and regulations introduced within social institutions. One is to underline the idea that sexual harassment problem has been considerable sharpened for the previous several years. It is caused by the ignorance on the part of executives as to introduction of special business policies and ethical norms and standards. (Carroll, and Buchholz, 2003)

The analysis of the principle reasons for the promotion of sexual harassment problem is to be based on modern standards established in the society. For example, dress code within institutions and business organizations is not always strictly observed and followed; as a result, most workers are not concentrated on the working process but on the bright and sexual clothes of co-workers. It is necessary to investigate the actions which can easily result in the hostile environment creation and sexual harassment: racial characteristics discrimination, leering, religious criticizing, the usage of derogatory words and phrases, and so on.

It is difficult to prevent the cases of sexual harassment, and very often they lead to the challenges within the developed discipline; it should be stressed the problem is centralized in business ethics issues to be introduced within any working atmosphere, be it business organizations or higher institutions. There are some basic recommendations and steps to be taken in order to prevent or tackle the problem of sexual harassment:

• Make respond to concerns;
• Try to listen, rather than judge;
• It is necessary to avoid various ‘dangerous words’;
• Compliant follow-up.

In case of violent sexual conduct, it is important to report everything to the police; sometimes the matters connected with rape, sexual battery, or stalking can be ignored by authority figures within the place of work or education, so, it is necessary to make police aware of every detail for the purpose of avoiding the same problem in future. Personal safety of every person depends on his reaction to the situation and attempts to protect himself; it should be stressed that if the offender is the harasser, one should report to higher level. (Weiss, 2003)

The representatives of authority are to remember the importance of ethical norms promotion within the working culture; the problem promotion may become the first step to unproductiveness and ineffective working process; besides, it can bring negative reputation to the accommodation with sexual harassment problem. So, the introduction of special policies, seminars and trainings is to be dedicated to the role of ethics in business and education. Besides, the discipline is considered to be the key element in problem solution; that is why the business runners are to develop strict rules for the working staff, or the students in order to predict unwelcome conversations, discussions, or physical contact within the environment. (Crane, and Matten, 2004)

The problem of harassment can be not only of sexual character; it is related to officials’ harassing actions towards the employees, expressed through undesirable reassignment, firing, compensation decisions, benefits change, or even formal discipline. The analysis of central social problem demonstrates the fact that unwelcome sexual physical or verbal violation in the work place is completely prohibited in accordance with state law. The company is to introduce special harassment policies and conduct training for the staff in order to avoid the problems of interfering with working environment. The problem of sexual harassment is closely connected with the issues of class and gender equality which are to be strictly observed by any business institution. Environmental harassment could be easily turned in any other serious form of the problem causing breakage of company ethical regulations. (Carroll, and Buchholz, 2003)

The paper managed to underline the principle characteristics of sexual harassment promotion in business and education spheres; it was proved that the problem solution is one of the central tasks for leaders and representatives of social organizations for them to tackle racial, sexual and gender discrimination promotion within working environment.

Bowie, T. and Beauchamp, T. (2009). Ethical Theory and Business. 8th Edition, Prentice Hall.

Carroll A. B. and Buchholz, A. 2003. Business and Society: Ethics and Stakeholder Management. 5th Edition, Thomson: South-Western.

Crane, A. and Matten, D. 2004. Business Ethics: A European Perspective. Oxford Edition.

Sexual Harassment. (2009). The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Web.

Weiss J. W. 2003. Business Ethics: A Stakeholder and Issues Management Approach. 3d Edition. Thomson: South-Western.

• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2021, November 13). Sexual Harassment: Issue Analysis. https://ivypanda.com/essays/sexual-harassment-issue-analysis/

"Sexual Harassment: Issue Analysis." IvyPanda , 13 Nov. 2021, ivypanda.com/essays/sexual-harassment-issue-analysis/.

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1. IvyPanda . "Sexual Harassment: Issue Analysis." November 13, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/sexual-harassment-issue-analysis/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Sexual Harassment: Issue Analysis." November 13, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/sexual-harassment-issue-analysis/.

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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.

This page intentionally left blank.

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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Legal arguments on sexual harassment (1 of 5 parts)

Here are a range of rights-based arguments on sexual harassment that have succeeded at trial. We explain how underpinning gender stereotypes amounts to discrimination; and how the issue concerned can instead be construed, or, dismissed. It is intended that these arguments can be lifted and rephrased for use in similar sexual harassment cases that take place in a variety of cultural contexts.

Legal arguments on sexual harassment 2 of 5

Legal arguments on sexual harassment 3 of 5

Legal arguments on sexual harassment 4 of 5

Legal arguments on sexual harassment 5 of 5

(1) The defendant argued that, because he did not touch the complainant, his actions did not amount to sexual harassment.

Argument: We reiterate to the court that the conducts that constitute sexual harassment ranges from innuendos, inappropriate gestures, suggestions or hints. More severe forms of sexual harassment include fondling without consent or by force to its worst form, namely rape.

(2) The defendant argued that he was merely joking and engaging in workplace banter.

Argument: We argue that the way in which a potentially offensive remark is conveyed is one aspect of the assessment. We argue that more importantly, it is the effect of such remark or banter on a woman’s sense of comfort and safety at the workplace that should precede the determination as to whether a remark, joke, or banter amounted to sexual harassment.

In many other courts, judges have agreed that sexual harassment is also caused by jokes and cartoons displayed in the workplace. The jokes do not need to be addressed specifically to the complainant or refer to her, so long as it creates a hostile working environment.

To take sexual cartoons as an example, the distribution of cartoons by men to women once or twice a month over several years can amount to sexual harassment. It has been argued that such jokes "ha[d] no humorous value to a reasonable person," and "offended the [complainant] as a woman."[1]

The court went on to say that a hostile environment can be based largely (though not entirely) on "caricatures of naked men and women (and) animals with human genitalia”. In one case, though "[m]any of the sexual cartoons and jokes . . . depicted both men and women," the court concluded that "widespread verbal and visual sexual humour -- particularly vulgar and degrading jokes and cartoons . . . may tend to demean women" more so than men.[1]

The court also added that an employee can be sexually harassed by offensive emails such as “jokes-of-the-day” circulated to her and her co-workers, and by the Supervisor's praise [in a department meeting] of the co-worker circulating the jokes.

We argue that conducts that amount to sexual harassment can occur in a variety of circumstances:

a) it occurs when a woman is expected to engage in sexual activity in order to obtain or keep employment, or

b) obtain promotion or other favourable working conditions.

c) or it is any unwanted sexual behaviour or comment that has a negative effect on the recipient.[1]

3. The defendant argued that other women in the office never felt sexually harassed by him and that his behaviour was "no more than mildly flirtatious …". In support of this contention he submitted two petitions:

The first petition was signed by all the women in the office who were working as his subordinates. The petition stated that they did not feel offended or sexually harassed by his past behaviour.

The second petition was signed by some other employees of the company, requesting the management to "reconsider his dismissal".

Argument: We argue that it cannot be accepted that just because all of the women did not complain of sexual harassment mean that they had consented to the applicant harassing them. Nor can it mean that they took pleasure in his doing so. In the case where the defendant submitted two petitions by male and female employees, the court denied both. The second petition was dismissed on the grounds that the employees who signed it did not know the facts and naturally would have (felt) sympathy for the applicant.

Source: Priest v Rotary 98 FRD 761 (1983)

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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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New Title IX rules add protections against harassment, assault and LGBTQ+ discrimination

William Brangham William Brangham

Karina Cuevas Karina Cuevas

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• Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/new-title-ix-rules-add-protections-against-harassment-assault-and-lgbtq-discrimination

The Biden administration put out new Title IX rules that will increase protections for LGBTQ+ students and change how schools handle cases of campus sexual assault. It reverses several moves made by the Trump administration. William Brangham discussed the changes with Laura Meckler of The Washington Post.

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Notice: Transcripts are machine and human generated and lightly edited for accuracy. They may contain errors.

William Brangham:

The Biden administration put out new Title IX rules today that will increase protections for LGBTQ+ students and change how schools handle cases of campus sexual assault.

These moves reverse several changes made by the Trump administration. Among them, sex discrimination will now clearly include discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. They fundamentally change the way schools conduct assault investigations, removing the Trump era requirement that victims be cross-examined and that they hold in-person hearings.

The new rules sidestep the controversial issue of transgender athletes, saying that that was still under review.

For more on these changes, I am joined by The Washington Post's Laura Meckler, who has been following all of this closely.

Laura, thank you so much for being here. So these rules go into effect starting in August. On this issue of LGBTQ+ students, it now says that it is illegal, very specifically, to discriminate against those students. That was not the case before?

Laura Meckler, The Washington Post:

Well, actually, the Biden administration has long held that it was the case before. They say that Title IX, which bars discrimination the basis of sex, has always also included sexual orientation and gender identity as part of that. That is a way, essentially, to discriminate on the basis of sex.

So that's how they have been acting, and that's how they have been adjudicating cases. But what this regulation does is essentially gives that more heft by putting it into a formal regulation that has gone through the full rulemaking process that says this is the official federal government's interpretation of what Title IX says.

And so on this issue of changing the rules with regards to how investigations are handled about sexual assault, explain to me what the situation was and now what these new rules do.

Laura Meckler:

So, the question of sexual assault and sexual harassment on campus has been a huge one for many years now. Well over a decade has this been a hot topic?

And, in fact, the Obama administration tried to address this with its own set of guidelines. And then the Trump administration came, tossed out the Obama rules, and wrote their own regulations. And they set out a system that was sort of a court-like type procedure, where there would be a separate investigator who would be different from the person who made the judgment.

And you would have sort of a cross-examination opportunity and a hearing. And it was a very high, higher burden of proof for what exactly would be considered sexual discrimination or sexual harassment under the law. So they had this system that was different in a couple ways. It was both sort of a more formal court-like system, and it was also a higher bar for proving your case.

And so now what this Biden administration rule does is essentially revises that system with one of its own and makes tweaks in both of those, sort of gives schools more flexibility. They don't have to use these hearings. They don't have to have cross-examination if they don't want to, as a good example.

And it also has a broader definition of what sexual harassment actually is under the law. So it would be easier to prove your case.

Help me understand what the Biden administration is trying to solve there. What was the concern with the previous regime?

Well, there were a number of concerns.

From the point of view of sexual assault survivors, they were concerned that if you mandate a cross-examination-type situation, that it would be essentially re-traumatizing for them. Of course, people on the other side would say that this is how you get at the truth. But that's what they said.

The other issue is that colleges themselves did not like being put into the position where they were essentially becoming a de facto court. They said, that's not what we do. That's not our job. We don't feel comfortable with it. So that was another problem.

And then, in terms of the burden of proof and how difficult it is to prove your case, that's really about sort of where do you want those sort of scales of justice to hang. Are you going to make it a little bit easier for people who are alleging these incidents happen, these cases of harassment, or do you want to make it a little bit harder to prove your case?

And the Biden rules come down on making it a little bit easier to prove your case.

There has been, as you know, a good deal of pushback on this. Congresswoman Virginia Foxx, who heads the House Education Committee, conservative, has said that some of these rules are basically redefining sex and gender in America.

What is the argument that they're making there?

Well, this is an argument that conservatives are making all over the country, and in fact, legislating based on that.

They essentially do not accept the idea that you can change your gender, that you can be born a boy and then decide you're a girl, is how they would put it. Of course, other people would say that, no, there are people who internally really feel like they are in fact the other gender, and that acknowledging that and accommodating that is the right thing to do.

But from a conservative point of view — and this is — there's, like I said, legislation dealing with this all over the place in conservative states — what they're really trying to say is that, this is a threat to essentially other girls and women. They don't want somebody who was born a boy showing up in the girls locker room, for instance.

So they take great issue — and I got a lot of response today from conservatives saying essentially that the administration was going too far and taking what they view as a radical position gender.

Lastly, as I mentioned, this does not address this very controversial issue of transgender athletes. Why did the administration say that they pushed off that decision?

Well, what they officially say is that that regulation, a separate regulation that addresses sports, is not ready yet.

But what people tell me who are familiar with the administration's thinking is that really it's the politics and that they don't want to be talking about this question of trans women competing on girls and women's sports teams in the middle of an election year.

All right, Laura Meckler of The Washington Post, thank you so much for being here.

Thank you so much for having me.

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Sexual Harassment and Violence against Women Essay Example

• Pages: 5 (1126 words)
• Published: November 21, 2021

The two articles talk about sexual assault against women. Sexual assault refers to a sexual act or behavior through force or coercion that occurs without the will or explicit consent of a victim. The essay is a critical analysis of two articles; “Women have the right to be heard and respected” by Lawrence Hill and “The Galloway Affair: Alem comes to UBC” by Margaret Wente. According to the articles, sexual assault against women is prevalent across the globe. Sexual assault and violation of women rights are not only evident in the poorest countries but also in the richest countries in the world. Countries such as Canada, United States, and Swaziland have experienced cases of women rights safety and equality. The articles emphasize that women should be allowed to represent their complaints on sexual assaults and be served with justice. Women have been the main vic

tims of sexual violence globally for a long time. Women’s rights should, therefore, be protected at whatever cost.

In his article, Lawrence Hill, writes about his volunteer activities. The writer visits women inmates, listens to their thoughts, dreams, and their plans when they reintegrate into the society. He is also involved in promoting grassroots community economic development for women in Africa. According to the writer, sexual assault and domestic violence against women is a major threat even in the richest countries. Powerful and prominent people such as the United States president-elect, Donald Trump, and Canadian celebrated radio host, Jian Ghomeshi have been accused of sexual harassment and violence and against women. Famous writer Steven Galloway was recently fired due to sexual assault allegations stirring a wave of reaction from Canadian writers rising

in Galloway’s defense. However, Lawrence indicates his nonsupport for movements that sabotage women’s efforts to air their complaints about sexual harassment and violence. The writer believes women have a right to be heard, respected and to be served with justice.

What follows is a critical analysis of how Lawrence Hill uses language, logic, and evidence to address the problem of sexual assault and violence against women. Through language, the writer conveys his deep concern over women who are victims of sexual assault. The writer says “I am not one of them” implying that he is against the group of writers rising in defense of the suspected sexual assault offender. He uses the language that refers to them as social movements that silences and hurts women from reporting their sexual harassments and violence. The writer uses repetition to articulate the theme of giving women a right to be heard and respected. In his article, the writer has emphasized in the cases of sexual violation of women in Canada, United States, and Swaziland. The writer gives critical evidence of sexual assault, for example, the writer criticizes some individuals such as Donald Trump and Jian Ghomeshi for getting away with crimes of sexual assault due to their influential positions. He says that Trump boasted about his sexual harassment behavior but still managed to win the elections. For these reasons, Lawrence has critically and more efficiently used language, logic, and evidence to articulate his theme on the protection of women’s rights.

The second article by Margaret Wente is about Canadian author, Steven Galloway, the head of creative writing at the University of British Columbia. Mr. Galloway was suspended from this position

and later fired due to unclear allegations about sexual assault. However, no criminal charges were ever laid. The writer indicates that people thought Mr. Galloway had done something pretty terrible but investigations left people doubting if Galloway was guilty. Another confidential report by the University report that was leaked to the media found scant evidence on Galloway’s case. The report, therefore, dismissed the serious allegations against him. Mr. Galloway was alleged with plying his students with alcohol with an intention to create a sexualized environment. However, the judge dismissed the claims ruling that most of the crowd were sophisticated adults. The victims claimed that Galloway’s behavior ruined their lives and dreams. However, the judge found the allegations to be a gross overreaction. A group of writers wrote to the university protesting about Galloway’s issue but were promptly accused of silencing the victims of sexual assault. Writer Lawrence Hill, however, refused to join his fellow writers in protesting in defense of Steven Galloway. Ms. Atwood, who was among the protesting writers, criticized the assumption that women are always right and men are always guilty claiming it undermined justice.

In her article, Margaret Wente has employed the use of language, logic, and evidence to shed more light on the case of Steven Galloway. Wente says Galloway was suspended because of “serious allegations.” The writer uses such language because the allegations were unspecified. She further indicated that the university was “prioritizing” the student’s safety, a statement that indicates the university’s bias towards the students because the university dismissed Mr. Galloway upon the allegations without enough evidence. Furthermore, the series of investigations found scant evidence which could not prove Galloway’s

guilty. According to the writer, the judge termed the allegations of harassment against Galloway as “a gross overreaction.” This language signifies the lack of enough evidence against Mr. Galloway. The writer gives evidence on the accusations against Galloway where some people accuse him of ruining their dreams and lives. Wente gives account on the cohesion of writers in Canada when they protested against universities action against one of their own. The writer has appropriately employed language, logic, and evidence to address the thesis in the article.

In conclusion, we can say that both articles address a similar issue of sexual assault, particularly against women. Both writers give their stand on sexual harassment and violence. The first article by Lawrence Hill provides more insight on the promotion and respect of women rights, how women should be allowed to report violations of their rights and protection of women from acts sexual abuse. However, the second article concentrates on a specific story of Steven Galloway how he was suspended, fired, investigated and reaction stirred by his story. The first article shows opposition to the writers’ movement for Galloway calling it a social movement to silence women but the second article gives more emphasis on the writers who argue in support of Galloway. It is true to conclude that the first article advocates more for women’s rights while the second is specific on the writer’s rights. However, both articles criticize violation of women’s rights and address the thesis on the protection of women from sexual violation by offering a platform to present their assaults and fair hearings to achieve justice for the victims.

• http://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/the-galloway-affair-salem-comes-to-ubc/article32970624/
• http://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/women-have-a-right-to-be-heard-and-respected/article32931267/
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NPR defends its journalism after senior editor says it has lost the public's trust

David Folkenflik

NPR is defending its journalism and integrity after a senior editor wrote an essay accusing it of losing the public's trust. Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

NPR is defending its journalism and integrity after a senior editor wrote an essay accusing it of losing the public's trust.

NPR's top news executive defended its journalism and its commitment to reflecting a diverse array of views on Tuesday after a senior NPR editor wrote a broad critique of how the network has covered some of the most important stories of the age.

"An open-minded spirit no longer exists within NPR, and now, predictably, we don't have an audience that reflects America," writes Uri Berliner.

A strategic emphasis on diversity and inclusion on the basis of race, ethnicity and sexual orientation, promoted by NPR's former CEO, John Lansing, has fed "the absence of viewpoint diversity," Berliner writes.

NPR's chief news executive, Edith Chapin, wrote in a memo to staff Tuesday afternoon that she and the news leadership team strongly reject Berliner's assessment.

"We're proud to stand behind the exceptional work that our desks and shows do to cover a wide range of challenging stories," she wrote. "We believe that inclusion — among our staff, with our sourcing, and in our overall coverage — is critical to telling the nuanced stories of this country and our world."

NPR names tech executive Katherine Maher to lead in turbulent era

She added, "None of our work is above scrutiny or critique. We must have vigorous discussions in the newsroom about how we serve the public as a whole."

A spokesperson for NPR said Chapin, who also serves as the network's chief content officer, would have no further comment.

Praised by NPR's critics

Berliner is a senior editor on NPR's Business Desk. (Disclosure: I, too, am part of the Business Desk, and Berliner has edited many of my past stories. He did not see any version of this article or participate in its preparation before it was posted publicly.)

Berliner's essay , titled "I've Been at NPR for 25 years. Here's How We Lost America's Trust," was published by The Free Press, a website that has welcomed journalists who have concluded that mainstream news outlets have become reflexively liberal.

Berliner writes that as a Subaru-driving, Sarah Lawrence College graduate who "was raised by a lesbian peace activist mother ," he fits the mold of a loyal NPR fan.

Yet Berliner says NPR's news coverage has fallen short on some of the most controversial stories of recent years, from the question of whether former President Donald Trump colluded with Russia in the 2016 election, to the origins of the virus that causes COVID-19, to the significance and provenance of emails leaked from a laptop owned by Hunter Biden weeks before the 2020 election. In addition, he blasted NPR's coverage of the Israel-Hamas conflict.

On each of these stories, Berliner asserts, NPR has suffered from groupthink due to too little diversity of viewpoints in the newsroom.

The essay ricocheted Tuesday around conservative media , with some labeling Berliner a whistleblower . Others picked it up on social media, including Elon Musk, who has lambasted NPR for leaving his social media site, X. (Musk emailed another NPR reporter a link to Berliner's article with a gibe that the reporter was a "quisling" — a World War II reference to someone who collaborates with the enemy.)

When asked for further comment late Tuesday, Berliner declined, saying the essay spoke for itself.

The arguments he raises — and counters — have percolated across U.S. newsrooms in recent years. The #MeToo sexual harassment scandals of 2016 and 2017 forced newsrooms to listen to and heed more junior colleagues. The social justice movement prompted by the killing of George Floyd in 2020 inspired a reckoning in many places. Newsroom leaders often appeared to stand on shaky ground.

Leaders at many newsrooms, including top editors at The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times , lost their jobs. Legendary Washington Post Executive Editor Martin Baron wrote in his memoir that he feared his bonds with the staff were "frayed beyond repair," especially over the degree of self-expression his journalists expected to exert on social media, before he decided to step down in early 2021.

Since then, Baron and others — including leaders of some of these newsrooms — have suggested that the pendulum has swung too far.

Author Interviews

Legendary editor marty baron describes his 'collision of power' with trump and bezos.

New York Times publisher A.G. Sulzberger warned last year against journalists embracing a stance of what he calls "one-side-ism": "where journalists are demonstrating that they're on the side of the righteous."

"I really think that that can create blind spots and echo chambers," he said.

Internal arguments at The Times over the strength of its reporting on accusations that Hamas engaged in sexual assaults as part of a strategy for its Oct. 7 attack on Israel erupted publicly . The paper conducted an investigation to determine the source of a leak over a planned episode of the paper's podcast The Daily on the subject, which months later has not been released. The newsroom guild accused the paper of "targeted interrogation" of journalists of Middle Eastern descent.

Heated pushback in NPR's newsroom

Given Berliner's account of private conversations, several NPR journalists question whether they can now trust him with unguarded assessments about stories in real time. Others express frustration that he had not sought out comment in advance of publication. Berliner acknowledged to me that for this story, he did not seek NPR's approval to publish the piece, nor did he give the network advance notice.

Some of Berliner's NPR colleagues are responding heatedly. Fernando Alfonso, a senior supervising editor for digital news, wrote that he wholeheartedly rejected Berliner's critique of the coverage of the Israel-Hamas conflict, for which NPR's journalists, like their peers, periodically put themselves at risk.

Alfonso also took issue with Berliner's concern over the focus on diversity at NPR.

"As a person of color who has often worked in newsrooms with little to no people who look like me, the efforts NPR has made to diversify its workforce and its sources are unique and appropriate given the news industry's long-standing lack of diversity," Alfonso says. "These efforts should be celebrated and not denigrated as Uri has done."

After this story was first published, Berliner contested Alfonso's characterization, saying his criticism of NPR is about the lack of diversity of viewpoints, not its diversity itself.

"I never criticized NPR's priority of achieving a more diverse workforce in terms of race, ethnicity and sexual orientation. I have not 'denigrated' NPR's newsroom diversity goals," Berliner said. "That's wrong."

Questions of diversity

Under former CEO John Lansing, NPR made increasing diversity, both of its staff and its audience, its "North Star" mission. Berliner says in the essay that NPR failed to consider broader diversity of viewpoint, noting, "In D.C., where NPR is headquartered and many of us live, I found 87 registered Democrats working in editorial positions and zero Republicans."

Berliner cited audience estimates that suggested a concurrent falloff in listening by Republicans. (The number of people listening to NPR broadcasts and terrestrial radio broadly has declined since the start of the pandemic.)

Former NPR vice president for news and ombudsman Jeffrey Dvorkin tweeted , "I know Uri. He's not wrong."

Others questioned Berliner's logic. "This probably gets causality somewhat backward," tweeted Semafor Washington editor Jordan Weissmann . "I'd guess that a lot of NPR listeners who voted for [Mitt] Romney have changed how they identify politically."

Similarly, Nieman Lab founder Joshua Benton suggested the rise of Trump alienated many NPR-appreciating Republicans from the GOP.

In recent years, NPR has greatly enhanced the percentage of people of color in its workforce and its executive ranks. Four out of 10 staffers are people of color; nearly half of NPR's leadership team identifies as Black, Asian or Latino.

"The philosophy is: Do you want to serve all of America and make sure it sounds like all of America, or not?" Lansing, who stepped down last month, says in response to Berliner's piece. "I'd welcome the argument against that."

"On radio, we were really lagging in our representation of an audience that makes us look like what America looks like today," Lansing says. The U.S. looks and sounds a lot different than it did in 1971, when NPR's first show was broadcast, Lansing says.

A network spokesperson says new NPR CEO Katherine Maher supports Chapin and her response to Berliner's critique.

The spokesperson says that Maher "believes that it's a healthy thing for a public service newsroom to engage in rigorous consideration of the needs of our audiences, including where we serve our mission well and where we can serve it better."

Disclosure: This story was reported and written by NPR Media Correspondent David Folkenflik and edited by Deputy Business Editor Emily Kopp and Managing Editor Gerry Holmes. Under NPR's protocol for reporting on itself, no NPR corporate official or news executive reviewed this story before it was posted publicly.

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Top Adviser to Mayor Adams Is Hit With a Second Harassment Lawsuit

The aide, Timothy Pearson, was accused of harassing and retaliating against a second police sergeant under his watch.

By Dana Rubinstein and William K. Rashbaum

One of Mayor Eric Adams’s closest confidants was sued on Wednesday for the second time in a month over accusations that he harassed and retaliated against a New York Police Department sergeant he oversaw.

The confidant, Timothy Pearson, was so prone to sexually harassing women that he was secretly placed under watch to try to prevent him from being alone with female colleagues, the suit says.

The allegations, made by a retired sergeant, Michael Ferrari, in a complaint filed Wednesday in State Supreme Court in Manhattan, support similar accusations by one of Mr. Ferrari’s former colleagues in the unit, Roxanne Ludemann.

Ms. Ludemann filed suit against Mr. Pearson last month, alleging that he often put his hands on female colleagues and retaliated against those who complained.

Ms. Ludemann retired in January after she said she was subject to harassment and retaliation. Her departure came roughly seven months after Mr. Ferrari retired; he said in the lawsuit that Mr. Pearson’s harassment and retaliation had effectively ended his career.

Mr. Ferrari also asserted that Mr. Pearson was privately given the nickname “Crumbs” when he expressed anger after a contractor had been paid.

“Do you know how these contracts work?” the lawsuit quotes Mr. Pearson as saying. “People are doing very well on these contracts. I have to get mine. Where are my crumbs?”

Mr. Pearson declined to comment.

Mr. Pearson, who has known Mr. Adams for decades, is the subject of an ongoing inquiry by the city’s Department of Investigation, after he brawled with security guards at a Midtown Manhattan migrant shelter last fall. Investigators are also expected to examine the new accusations against him.

But Mr. Pearson first came to public attention early in Mr. Adams’s tenure in City Hall, when The New York Times reported that he was simultaneously collecting a city salary and his police pension while also serving as head of security at Resorts World New York City, a major slot machine parlor in Queens. Resorts World plans to apply for one of three coveted full-scale casino licenses in the New York City area.

The mayor has repeatedly defended Mr. Pearson. A spokeswoman for Mr. Adams, Kayla Mamelak, said on Wednesday that the mayor’s office would review the lawsuit, adding, “We hold all public servants to the highest standards.”

In the lawsuit, Mr. Ferrari detailed a pattern of retribution carried out on Mr. Pearson’s behalf. After Mr. Ferrari’s immediate supervisor confronted Mr. Pearson about his harassment of women — even speaking to Bernard Adams, the mayor’s brother, about the behavior — the supervisor was transferred out of the unit, the Mayor’s Office of Municipal Services Assessment, according to the suit.

Uncomfortable continuing to work for Mr. Pearson, Mr. Ferrari said he sought a transfer. After his request, he was summoned to a meeting with Jeffrey Maddrey, the chief of department, who assigned him to patrol duty in Queens.

In his new assignment, Mr. Ferrari said he was denied overtime and the choice of shift that his seniority would normally allow.

That resulted in a more than $35,000 drop in his pay and amounted to “a demotion within the N.Y.P.D.,” according to the suit. Mr. Ferrari is seeking compensatory and punitive damages, as well as damages for emotional distress, in the lawsuit, which also names Mr. Maddrey as a defendant.

A Police Department spokesman said officials would “review the lawsuit if and when we are served.”

After The New York Times reported on Mr. Pearson’s dual employment for the city and casino, he left his casino job and his city duties were expanded: He was put in charge of the Municipal Services Assessment office, whose mandate was to work with city agencies to improve their services.

“Mayor Eric Adams continues to turn a blind eye to the sexual harassment allegations against his top aide Pearson,” John Scola, the lawyer representing both Mr. Ferrari and Ms. Ludemann, said in a text message.

“Due to the refusal to investigate or discipline Pearson for his unlawful actions, the city continues to place its employees at risk of further harassment and has communicated to the women employees of the city, and those that stand up against sexual harassment, that they are second-class employees who will not be protected,” Mr. Scola said.

Dana Rubinstein covers New York City politics and government for The Times. More about Dana Rubinstein

William K. Rashbaum is a Times reporter covering municipal and political corruption, the courts and broader law enforcement topics in New York. More about William K. Rashbaum

Indian wrestler who led sexual harassment fight among Time’s 100 most influential people

I ndia’s first and only woman wrestler to win an Olympic medal has been named among the world’s 100 most influential people in Time magazine’s 2024 list.

The athlete features in the Icons category for leading a fight against sexual harassment of women wrestlers and holding a sit-in protest in capital Delhi .

She is listed alongside actors Taraji P Henson and Alia Bhatt, singer Dua Lipa, and Russian opposition leader Yulia Navalnaya. Malik won a bronze at the Rio Olympics in 2016.

“Proud to be included in the 2024 #TIME100 list,” Malik said in a post on X.

Malik, 31, led a protest against the alleged sexual harassment of wrestlers by former Wrestling Federation of India president  Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh , who is a six-time lawmaker from prime minister  Narendra Modi ’s ruling  Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Malik, along with World Championships medallist Vinesh Phogat and Olympic medallist Bajrang Punia, camped in Delhi’s streets in January 2023 to demand the resignation of the wrestling body’s chief.

But the protest soon ballooned into an “unprecedented” battle in the Indian sporting community , Time noted, and forced Malik to hang her boots “in an emotional, public, and very brave act of defiance”.

“This fight is no longer only for India’s female wrestlers,” Malik said. “It is for the daughters of India whose voices have been silenced time and again.”

Mr Singh was removed from the wrestling federation and charged with sexually harassing six female wrestlers. The lawmaker has rejected the allegations.

Malik, a 2016  Olympics  bronze medalist, announced that she was quitting wrestling immediately after Sanjay Singh,  a close aide of Mr Singh , was elected as new wrestling federation chief.

The Time list pairs awardees with guest contributors who are specially selected to write about them, with documentary filmmaker Nisha Pahuja penning a tribute for Malik.

“She did not, however, quit the battle. Her light, and the light of all those standing against harassment, continues to shine,” Ms Pahuja wrote.

Malik and Bollywood actress Bhatt are among seven people of Indian origin who are on the list this year. The others are Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, World Bank chief Ajay Banga, British restaurateur and cookbook author Asma Khan, Yale University professor Priyamvada Natarajan, and clean energy entrepreneur Jigar Shah.

The Independent is the world’s most free-thinking news brand, providing global news, commentary and analysis for the independently-minded. We have grown a huge, global readership of independently minded individuals, who value our trusted voice and commitment to positive change. Our mission, making change happen, has never been as important as it is today.

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Woman files sexual harassment lawsuit against Metro Detroit chiropractor

By Gino Vicci

April 19, 2024 / 11:35 PM EDT / CBS Detroit

(CBS DETROIT) - A Metro Detroit chiropractor and his place of employment are at the center of a sexual harassment lawsuit. 

Attorney Azzam Elder said he filed a lawsuit Friday against John Pispidikis and Spinal Recovery Services on behalf of his client, a former patient. 

"After talking to the client, we had no choice but to bring this public and let people know that he is a predator," Elder said. 

Elder said Pispidikis, a chiropractic neurologist and nurse practitioner, treated his client for severe neck and back injuries she sustained in a car accident. 

According to the lawsuit, Pispidikis allegedly became more aggressive and touched his client inappropriately.

"What you saw on video was her last visit, which was recently Feb. 6," Elder said.

Elder said his client confided in a friend about the way Pispidikis was touching her during her visits. That friend instructed her to obtain a hidden camera and record it. 

Elder said the video shows Pispidikis standing his client up against the door to the room with no shirt on. In the video, he said that Pispidikis grabbed his client between the legs repeatedly. 

"He was not providing medical services; he was doing what he wanted for sexual gratification, and that's just unacceptable, and the world needs to know who he is, and he needs to be held accountable. This person is a sexual predator, and he has no business practicing medicine," Elder said. 

Elder said his client was called repeatedly after she stopped showing up for her appointments. 

"Even after she stopped seeing him, he had his office call her multiple times, and they would tell her, 'Dr. Pispidikis needs to follow up with you. He needs to see you,'" Elder said. 

Because of the alleged actions of this medical professional, Elder fears there may be more victims out there who are too afraid to speak up. 

"He is a danger. If they know anyone else who is a witness or is a potential victim, they need to contact the police department or contact our offices. We've got to make sure that we put him out of business or at least hold him accountable because he should not be practicing medicine," Elder said. 

Warren police confirmed there is an investigation into Spinal Recovery Services, and those findings will be handed over to the Macomb County Prosecutor's Office for review. 

Elder also said he served the lawsuit to Spinal Recovery Services around noon Friday in person.   

CBS Detroit visited Spinal Recovery Services on Friday, but they were closed. CBS Detroit also reached out to Pispidikis for comment but our message was not returned. 

• Sexual Harassment

Gino Vicci was born and raised in Detroit. He graduated Magna Cum Laude from Rochester College with a bachelor's degree in Communications. At Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism, he obtained a master's degree.

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Women’s soccer coach accused of sexual harassment in Brazil resigns after protests

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SAO PAULO (AP) — The male coach of a Brazilian women’s soccer team resigned on Monday after accusations against him of sexual harassment drew league-wide protests.

Kleiton Lima left Santos club in September when the accusations were brought to light by media. He was restored as the women’s coach on April 2 when Santos officials said they found no evidence of wrongdoing.

But, since Friday, players across the league protested his return, and Santos said in a statement on Monday that Lima made “a personal decision” to leave to “protect his family, his integrity and the club.”

“The coach has been under fire and has received death threats in recent days due to the accusations made last year. Even though he is sure he did not commit any of the actions he is accused of, Kleiton Lima understood his request to step aside is the best option for the preservation of all the parties involved.”

Brazilian media reported in September that Lima was the subject of 19 anonymous accusations of sexual and moral harassment.

Over the weekend, players in Brazil’s top women’s soccer league protested his return to Santos. Before their matches, they held their hands over their mouths as if they had been silenced.

Palmeiras and Avai players wore the number 19 in protest on Friday.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer