Different circumstances for sexual harassment

It is unfortunate that sexual harassment in the workplace is quite often ignored.

The victims and their peers often ignore this type of behavior in fear of the consequences of speaking out, the stress of social stigma, or the fear of being invalidated and dismissed if they complain.

Among the victims, 63% of women did not file a complaint, and 79% of men kept issues to themselves, according to a BBC survey in 2017. To protect yourself and others from being a victim of sexual harassment at your workplace, you need to be aware of the circumstances in which harassment might occur.

Firstly, anyone, regardless of their gender, can be a victim.

Secondly, the perpetrator and the victim don’t need to be different genders for an act of sexual harassment to take place! Thirdly, the perpetrator can hold a position of power, such as a manager or a supervisor, but can also be a co-worker, a subordinate, a customer, or a visitor to the organization.

More examples of sexual harassment include staring at someone inappropriately, making lewd gestures, or violating someone’s personal space. It doesn’t need to be physically or verbally explicit. It can be subtle, appear innocent and it can go unnoticed. Also, it’s not just the victim that takes the toll of sexual harassment. You can also be just an observer and still be affected by what you witness.

Pause this video and think of moments when you had a feeling that someone around you was uncomfortable with the conversation or a joke being told by another colleague.

According to a Goremotely survey, 32% of employees didn’t know that jokes could be a form of sexual harassment and lead to a toxic work environment.

Next, we will learn the effects sexual harassment has on the workplace.