Sexual harassment - Psychological causes and effects

Sexual harassment - Psychological causes and effects

-Birdy


Sexual harassment is unwelcome attention of a sexual nature and is illegal if it results in a tangible employment action or creates a hostile work environment. The psychological effects of sexual harassment can range from mild to severe, resulting in decreased work performance or job loss; symptoms of extreme personal distress such as depression, anxiety, and sleeplessness; and physical problems such as headaches, gastrointestinal upset, and raised blood pressure. Harassers are often motivated by a desire for personal power or social control, or actual sexual desire.

Introduction

The term “sexual harassment” covers a broad spectrum of activity, from telling an off-color joke of a sexual nature to the display of sexually offensive pictures and from casual touching to actually propositioning a coworker for sex. Often what is included in the rubric “sexual harassment” depends on who is doing the harassing and who is being harassed. The behavior in question may be more offensive to one person’s sensibilities than to another’s, and the harasser’s intent may also vary. The severity of sexual harassment, generally regarded as unwelcome attention of a sexual nature causing discomfort, humiliation, offense, or distress that interferes with one’s job, is largely determined by its impact on the victim.



The law recognizes two forms of sexual harassment, that produced by a hostile environment and that which occurs as the result of a quid pro-quo arrangement. The line between the two is often blurry. The former occurs when the gender-based conduct of anyone with whom an individual interacts during the course of work creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment, making it difficult for that individual to function. Some examples of such conduct include making lewd comments about a person’s looks, using offensive language of a sexual nature, telling sexual jokes or stories, making sexual innuendoes, or displaying sexually suggestive materials in the workplace. Quid pro quo (this for that) sexual harassment is when a person in a supervisory capacity threatens to take (or takes) an employment action in response to a demand for an employee to submit to acts of a sexual nature. Examples of this form of harassment are a supervisor’s pushing an employee to spend more personal time with him or her, making a romantic date a requisite of receiving a raise, or threatening to terminate an employee for refusing to have sexual relations with him or her. Threats of jeopardy to the employee’s well-being or job security do not have to be carried out to be construed as quid pro quo sexual harassment; all that is necessary is that the employee is made to feel threatened.

The Dynamics

Although the greatest numbers of harassers are men who harass women, women can also harass men, and same-sex harassment has also been reported. Much of the research on sexual harassment, however, focuses on male perpetrators and female victims, and much of what is known is based on these studies.
Sexual harassment stems from sexist attitudes or prejudice, and it is a way to diminish the victim’s status and power and to increase the harasser’s feeling of power. High levels of sexual harassment have been found to exist when the number of female workers in a field is relatively low. Women in traditionally male occupations—whether professionals such as engineers, surgeons, and investment bankers, or blue-collar workers such as linemen and construction workers—are more likely to be harassed.
When women enter traditionally male fields, men are likely to feel threatened. Some men feel threatened by the career advancements of women or are uncomfortable with women’s independence and assertiveness. Other men think that sexual harassment is a fringe benefit that comes with their higher position. A female victim of harassment may make mistakes, be absent from work with greater frequency, or fail to carry out her job in a satisfactory manner, leaving the harasser with the impression that women cannot perform in a man’s world.

Those few women in a traditionally male occupations find themselves singled out for scrutiny and the focus of rumors. Their actions, particularly their mistakes, generate extreme responses from the men, who are in the majority. Mistakes that would be minor if made by men assume greater importance and elicit ridicule when made by women. In male-dominated workplaces, if a woman complains about a man’s behavior toward her, it is the woman who is usually perceived to be the problem. Often the male worker either will remain undisciplined or will be disciplined only slightly. To try to alleviate these situations, some women may try to join in the stereotyping, becoming overly sexy or flirtatious, or telling dirty jokes so that they will fit in and not be ostracized.

Harassers remind their victims of their vulnerability, creating tension that makes job performance more difficult and making their victims hesitate to seek raises and promotions. Sexual harassment creates a climate of intimidation and is considered by the courts as part of sex/gender discrimination. The sexually harassed woman endures pressure, degradation, and hostility, which her male coworkers do not experience. Consequently, the female victim finds it difficult to thrive in the workplace.

Harassers and Their Victims

Harassers vary, but when male, they often assume the role of “Mr. Macho” or “just one of the boys.” They engage in acts of bravado, embarrassing women with personal comments, inappropriate compliments, lewd jokes or gestures, and the like. Inappropriate compliments and personal comments that embarrass the recipient are often regarded as patronizing or annoying. Other roles include the male opportunist, whose eyes and hands wander at every opportunity, public and private, and the power player, who insists on sexual favors in exchange for getting or keeping a job, a promotion, or other benefits.
Women of all ages and all races can be harassed, regardless of their looks, their manner of dress, or their marital status. Particularly vulnerable are heads of households, who need their jobs badly; timid and insecure women who lack self-confidence and career-related education and experience; women who are eager to be accepted and liked and find it difficult to refuse advances; and saleswomen pressured by clients for sexual favors in exchange for business.

Damage to Victims

The physical, psychological, mental, emotional, and financial damage suffered by victims of sexual harassment are enormous. The American Psychiatric Association has recognized that work performance stress caused by sexual harassment and its effects on all aspects of the victims’ lives is a major contributor to post-traumatic stress disorder. Sexual harassment also has a destructive effect on the entire workplace. As the victim’s work performance declines because of the stress of the harassment, coworkers also become less productive because they try to manage around the resulting problems. Employers are affected because of the great cost of disrupted productivity.

Victims of sexual harassment experience a sequence of changes because of the sexual harassment. Initially, victims often feel that the incident is an isolated event that will not be repeated. When it happens again and again, victims feel confused and blame themselves for not recognizing what was happening. As the harassment continues, victims develop anxiety and their concentration is impaired. They feel targeted, scrutinized, and trapped. They may avoid work, take a leave of absence, change jobs, or get fired. At the same time, victims may become angry and consider filing a lawsuit. Many victims do nothing, however, because their disappointment and frustration are overwhelming.

Victims who remain in their jobs are scared, nervous, and irritable, and may suffer crying spells; some have nervous breakdowns as feelings of isolation, helplessness, and vulnerability become overwhelming. The psychological and emotional distress can lead to physical consequences, and victims become unable to sleep, leading to increased susceptibility to illness; others experience weight gain or loss, heart palpitations, headaches and muscle fatigue, and increased worry and anxiety. Some turn to alcohol and substance abuse to numb the effects of the workplace stress.

Sexual harassment may also affect its victims economically. Victims may be denied training opportunities, promotions, or raises. In retaliation for making a complaint, they may be reassigned to a more difficult position or transferred away from home and family. Filing a complaint can also be divisive in the workplace, as some employees will side with the victim and others will not. Conditions on the job may become intolerable and cause victims to resign. Harassment can have lasting effects, as it can negatively affect the victims’ work records or make it impossible to get a reference.

Sources for Further Study

Boland, Mary L. Sexual Harassment in the Workplace. Naperville, Ill.: Sphinx, 2005. A readable primer covering basic topics, such as how to prevent harassment, how to file a complaint, and the role of the employer.

Gregory, Raymond F. Unwelcome and Unlawful: Sexual Harassment in the American Workplace. Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University Press, 2004. Discusses legal issues regarding sexual harassment.

MacKinnon, Catharine A., and Reva B. Siegel, eds. Directions in Sexual Harassment Law. New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, 2004. A compilation of scholarly articles dealing with sexual harassment law.

Neville, Kathleen. Internal Affairs: The Abuse of Power, Sexual Harassment, and Hypocrisy in the Workplace. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2000. A discussion of the abuse of power in the workplace and corporate practices that allow protection of harassers and hostile behavior.

Petrocelli, William, and Barbara Kate Repa. Sexual Harassment on the Job: What It Is and How to Stop It. 3d ed. Berkeley, Calif.: Nolo Press, 1998. Discusses the background, causes, and effects of sexual harassment; the laws that prohibit harassment on the job; and steps to remedy workplace harassment.