Sexual Harassment
What is Relabeling?
Involves offering excuses for the harasser or interpreting the behavior as flattering. For example, "S/he is not really like that... S/he did not mean to harass me... S/he was only joking... Maybe I'm being a little too uptight."
What are some of the organizational effects of sexual harassment in the workplace?
a) lower productivity b) damaged reputation c) emotional factors d) organizational withdrawal
What are some examples of physical sexual behaviors?
a. Hanging around, standing close to or brushing against a person b. Touching a person's clothing, hair, or body c. Hugging, kissing, patting, or stroking d. Touching, pinching, bumping, or cornering e. Blocking a passageway
What is Detachment?
To cope with sexual harassment, both victims and harassers may discount or invalidate the victim's claim that sexual harassment has occurred or is occurring. A victim may minimize the situation by treating it like a job or deciding that the incident was really not important.
What is third party sexual harassment?
the victim does not have to be the only person affected by the harassment behavior, but could also be anyone affected by the offensive behavior in the defined "workplace"-"an expansive term for military members that includes conduct on/off duty, 24 hours a day" (DoD Directive 1350.2).
What are the behaviors that constitute sexual harassment?
1) Verbal 2) Non-Verbal 3) Physical
What are the 2 major effects of Sexual Harassment?
1) Work Related 2) Effects on the Victim
What is Avoidance?
The victim may ask to be transferred, use frequent leave, or go to sick call frequently to avoid the harassing situations.
What is denial?
This means pretending the situation is not happening or trying not to notice that sexual harassing behaviors are taking place.
What are some Reactive Strategies to combat sexual harassment?
a) ensure all complaints are dealt with in timely manner b) conduct follow-up actions and check for reprisal or retaliation c) reengage and reemphasize proactive strategies
What are some examples of verbal sexual behavior?
a. Turning work discussions into sexual topics b. Sexual connotations or innuendoes while referring to someone as honey, baby, hunk, stud, darling, etc. c. Telling lies or spreading rumors about a person's personal sex life. d. Telling jokes or stories and making comments with sexual connotations e. Making sexual comments about a person's clothing, body, or sexual activities f. Asking questions about a person's sexual life, fantasies, preferences or history g. Whistling or making catcalls at someone
What is Non-Verbal sexual behavior?
any military member or civilian employee who makes deliberate or repeated unwelcome...gestures...of a sexual nature
What is verbal sexual behavior?
comments made to, about, and in the presence of a person
What is a Hostile Environment?
it need not result in concrete psychological harm to the victim, but rather need only be so severe or pervasive that a reasonable person would perceive, and the victim perceives, the work environment as hostile or offensive.
What are some Individual/Victim Coping Strategies that individuals attempt to develop?
1) Denial 2) Detachment 3) Relabeling 4) Avoidance
What are some common health related issues seen with sexual harassment?
1) Headaches, neck and back pain 2) Gastrointestinal disturbances 3) Tiredness/fatigue 4) Sleep disturbance 5) Weight loss and loss of appetite 6) Dental-related problems
What 3 categories does sexual harassment effect in the workplace?
1) Individual 2) Organizational 3) Economic
What are the components to the Reasonable Person Test?
1) Objective Portion - requires a hypothetical exposure of a "reasonable person" to the same set of facts and circumstances 2) Subjective Portion - requires that the victim or subject perceives the harassing behaviors as creating a hostile work environment
What effect does sexual harassment have on the victim?
1) Psychological 2) Health Related 3) Develop Victim Coping Strategies
What are the 2 types of Sexual Harassment?
1) Quid Pro Quo 2) Hostile Environment
What are types of organizational withdrawal?
1) avoiding work duties 2) job turnover 3) retirement
What is the most common coping strategy?
Denial
What are the Psychological effects on a victim of sexual harassment?
a) Decreased self-esteem and self-confidence b) Difficulties with trust c) Depression d) Anxiety e) Fear of rape f) Increased fear of crime in general g) Seemingly "contradictory" emotional responses to harassment h) The victim may regard sexual harassment as a shameful experience, which may lead to social isolation and/or alienation from co-workers who may have experienced similar harassment.
What are some Techniques to combat sexual harassment?
a) Direct Approach (confront harasser and inform about unwanted behavior) b) Indirect Approach (send a letter to harasser stating the facts) c) Third Party Approach (ask someone to relay message to harasser) d) Report harassment to Chain of Command
What are some Proactive Strategies to combat sexual harassment?
a) addressing and stopping existing sexist behaviors b) ensuring organizational policy letters are up-to-date c) bulletin boards to pass information d) conducting training workshops, seminars, or group discussions e) conducting unit climate assessments on regular basis
What are some of the negative job ramifications for individual victims?
a) decreased job satisfaction b) decline in job performance c) decreased motivation d) decreased motivation e) decreased morale f) increased absenteeism g) lowered productivity h) impaired relationships between co-workers
What are some of the economic costs of sexual harassment in the military?
a) lost duty time b) lost productivity c) decreased unit morale/cohesion d) mission accomplishment e) medical treatment f) reassignment costs g) family impacts h) suicide
What are some command responsibilities to fight sexual harassment?
a. Examining his/her own behaviors b. Providing an environment free of intimidation, hostility and psychological stress c. Controlling social interactions so that they do not interfere with productivity d. Taking corrective action(s) whenever sexual behavior is displayed e. Holding everyone responsible and accountable for their actions f. Establishing and enforcing behavioral standards g. Taking disciplinary action as appropriate h. Examining the totality of the circumstances (e.g. nature of advances, and context of occurrence)
What are some examples of Non-Verbal sexual behavior?
a. Paying unwanted attention to someone by ogling or staring at their body b. Displaying sexually suggestive visuals (e.g., centerfolds, calendars, cartoons) c. Items depicting sexual parts of the body (e.g., ashtrays, coffee cups, figurines) d. Sexually oriented entertainment in organizations, base facilities, or officially sanctioned functions e. Sexually suggestive gestures with hands or through body movement (e.g., blowing kisses, licking lips, winking, grabbing crotch, lowering pants, raising skirts, etc.) f. E-mails, text messages, or any type of electronic communication that is sexual in nature.
Define sexual harassment
form of sex discrimination that involves unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when: Submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of a person's job, pay, or career, or Submission to or rejection of such conduct by a person is used as a basis for career or employment decisions affecting that person, or Such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual's work performance or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment.
What is physical sexual behavior?
refers to unwanted touching of an individual
What is Quid Pro Quo sexual harassment?
the person who is the harasser is usually a person who is in a position of power (e.g., supervisor, manager, and instructor). The victim is usually a person who feels s/he must respond to the sexual advance in order to gain something in return.