Published
by Just-Web Research Institute [3rd January, 2019]
CAUSES AND EFFECTS OF SEXUAL
HARASSMENT IN THE WORKPLACE
Deedenwii, Bariture Neele
ND, and D.cl
+2347012543482
and +2349050517580
ABSTRACT
Among the
prominent issues bothering the work experience of female employees is that of
sexual harassment at work. This seminar paper seeks to uncover perceived
experience of sexual harassment among female employees in the work place
setting. The causes of this act were unveiled and it was found out that
superior officer in higher cadre uses their powers to victimize female workers
at lower level. Also provocative dressing was discovered amongst others.
Solutions to these causes were administered using both organizational ways of
curbing and personal method. These solutions encompass proper dressing, the
harassed asking to be transferred and many others.
Keywords: Sexual
Harassment, Employees, Causes of Sexual Harassment Effects of Sexual Harassment
and Workplace
INTRODUCTION
Female employees do
encountered several challenges in organizations but sexual harassment is one of
the major constraints because the effects according to Yusuf (2010) cut across
physical, emotional, psychological and economic dimensions. Yalokwu (2006)
noted that organization is a complex social system which utilizes the
cumulative variables of both human and material resources. Achieving the short
medium and strategic objectives of an organization solely relied on its human
resources but the employees must be well motivated to carry out their tasks
enthusiastically.
Moreso, employee’s
performance is relevant towards an organizational survival thus Haralambos and
Holborn (2000) argued that demographic variable of employees have little or
nothing to do with goal accomplishment rather it is the extent of productivity
that is considered.
Consequently, female
employees would not have been faced with these demographic and socio-cultural
constrains which restrict their performance. Nigerian working environment have
recently exposed the women to one form of discrimination or another. Mackinon (1979)
observed that female employees are restricted to certain kinds of job schedule,
some peculiar working environment and some reward system. Therefore, while the
skill and ability of these employees may be better, the socio-cultural
attributes do not only restrain their performance but also exposes the
organization to weak morale and mediocrity. Sexual harassment encompasses
behavior which humiliates, intimidate and coerce female employee through
personal attack. This act though may be personality based on generally applied
it affects the emotional and psychological sense of the victims therefore,
their performance are greatly affected. Reskin and Padavic (2004) argued that
resulting from the nature of sexual harassment to female employees which normally
comes from the
superior officers. The
ability and willingness to freely communicate incidence of sexual harassment in
most organizations is very low, thereby making it to strive. While sexual
harassment may not be stipulated in the organizational guidelines as an
offence. The various laws towards the protection of women and acts against
sexual violence serve as a guide because of the moral and ethical values of
Nigerian society. Sexual harassment is an offence. The dimension of this paper
is, to study the causes and effects of sexual harassment in the workplace and
how it affects productivity.
WHAT
IS SEXUAL HARASSMENT
The Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission (1980) defined sexual harassment as an “unwelcome sexual
advances, request for sexual favours and other verbal or physical conduct of a
sexual nature”.
The commission further
classified this definition under the following situations:
v Submission
to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of
an individual’s employment, or
v Submission
to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as a basis for
employment decisions affecting such individual, or
v Such
conduct has the purpose of effect of unreasonably interfering with an
individual’s work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or
offensive working environment.
SOME
VERBAL, NON-VERBAL AND PHYSICAL ACTS THAT DESCRIBES SEXUAL HARASSMENT:
v Actual
or attempted rape or sexual assault.
v Unwanted
pressure for sexual favours.
v Unwanted
deliberate touching, leaning over, cornering, or pinching.
v Unwanted
sexual looks or gestures.
v Unwanted
letters, telephone calls, or materials of a sexual nature.
v Unwanted
pressure for dates.
v Unwanted
sexual teasing, jokes, remarks, or questions.
v Referring
to an adult as a girl, hunk doll, babe, or honey.
v Whistling
at someone.
v Cat
calls.
v Sexual
comments.
v Turning
work discussions to sexual topics.
v Sexual
innuendos or stories.
v Asking
about sexual fantasies, preferences, or history.
v Personal
questions about social or sexual life.
v Sexual
comments about a person’s clothing, anatomy, or looks.
v Kissing
sounds, howling and smacking lips.
v Telling
lies or spreading rumors about a person’s personal sex life.
v Neck
massage.
v Touching
an employee’s clothing, hair, or body.
v Giving
personal gifts.
v Hanging
around a person.
v Hugging,
kissing, patting, or stroking.
v Touching
or rubbing oneself sexually around another person.
v Standing
close or brushing up against a person.
v Looking
a person up and down (elevator eyes).
v Staring
at someone.
v Sexually
suggestive signals.
v Facial
expressions, winking, throwing kisses, or licking lips.
v Making
sexual gestures with hands or through body movements.
VERBAL
v Referring
to an adult as a girl, hunk, doll, babe, or honey.
v Whistling
at someone, cat calls.
v Making
sexual comments about a person’s body.
v Making
sexual comments or innuendos.
v Turning
work discussions to sexual topics.
v Telling
sexual jokes or stories.
v Asking
about sexual fantasies, preferences, or history.
v Asking
persona questions about social or sexual life.
v Making
kissing sounds, howling, and smacking lips.
v Making
sexual comments about a person’s clothing, anatomy, or looks.
v Repeatedly
asking out a person who is not interested.
v Telling
lies or spreading rumors about a person’s personal sex life.
NON-VERBAL
v Looking
a person up and down (Elevator eyes).
v Staring
at someone
v Blocking
a person’s path.
v Following
the person.
v Giving
personal gifts.
v Displaying
sexually suggestive visuals.
v Making
sexual gestures with hands or through body movements.
v Making
facial expressions such as winking, throwing kisses, or licking lips.
PHYSICAL
v Giving
a massage around the neck or shoulders.
v Touching
the person’s clothing, hair, or body.
v Hugging,
kissing, patting, or stroking.
v Touching
or rubbing oneself sexually around another person.
v Standing
close or brushing up against another person.
TYPES
OF SEXUAL HARASSMENTS
As quoted in Kpabep
& Joel, Essential Skills for Office Communication, the Civil Rights Act of
1964 and subsequent legislation and court decisions have identified two types
of sexual harassments.
v Quid Pro Quo:
This is a Latin term
meaning “this for that”. This involves a situation in which an employee is
offered a reward or is threatened with punishment based upon his or her
participation in sexual activity. Example of this form of harassment include
directly or indirectly threatening not to promote someone who won’t date you or
implying that employment depends on the exchange of sexual favours.
v Hostile Work Environment:
This category includes
any verbal or non-verbal behavior that has the intention of effect or interfering
with someone’s work or creating an environment that is intimidating, offensive
or hostile. in this case the individual’s ability to perform his or her job is
adversely affected.
CAUSES
OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN THE WORKPLACE
Sexual harassment could
occur in the workplace under the following reasons:
Attraction:
One person can become
so attracted to another that authority and status are used to convey sexual
requests and suggestions.
Power:
The perpetrator uses
his position and authority to control the behavior of the victim because he
believes that obtaining sexual favours conveys ultimate power.
Communication
Styles:
The fact that women are
more likely to disclose personal matters to men, and because of that, men
usually interpret this communication as flirting or sexual interest.
Additionally, women by nature act less assertively and aggressively than men.
Hence, the men usually interpret this situation as an invitation to express
more sexual interest. Even non-verbal communication plays a role in how men and
women interpret their counterpart’s communication. Women, often uses smiles and
eye contacts and touch innocently to indicate interest in a topic or person,
whereas men may use their signals as openings for sexual harassments.
Improper
or Provocative Dress:
When a woman’s outfit
is described as sexually provocative, the description generally suggest that
her clothing is revealing, tight-fitting, or viewed as sexually suggestive in
the context in which it is worn. According to one proposed definition,
provocative dress “includes all female appearance styles that deviate forms the
acceptable norm or a specific social situation toward the direction of sexual
suggestiveness and/or body exposure”.
Inferior
Jobs:
Ogunmosunle (2012)
noted that sexual harassment occurred in the working environment resulting
forms the inferior job positions and job roles occupied by women. More so,
resulting from the above, women tend to crave to improve their position since
sex discrimination forces women into inferior job positions and low-paying job.
Sexual harassment helps to keep them there.
Poverty:
Poverty is also one of
the causes of sexual harassment because most victims crave for financial or
material favour from their superior without the intent of being harassed
however; the harassers do take advantage of them by asking them for sexual
favour.
Reliance
on Co-Worker or Superior Officers for Support:
Sexual harassment in
the workplace can also be caused by dependency and reliance on co-workers for
support and teamwork, reliance on superior officers for career advancement and
job placement, abuse of authority by the supervisor, workplace bullying, poor
management, job instability, job insecurity, low pay package, social problem
such as divorce, low level of prosecution of culprit and provocative dressing
by women in the work place (Adkins, 1995).
EFFECTS
OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN THE WORKPLACE
1.
Emotional
& Physical Well-Being:
Physical
health and emotional health are closely linked. when victims of sexual
harassment experience mental and emotional problems, it often leads to physical
issues, such as loss of appetite, headaches, weight fluctuations, and sleep
disturbances can, in turn, lead to serious health problems, such as hormonal
imbalance, an increased risk of high blood pressure, and weakened immune
system.
2.
Financial
Challenges:
In addition to causing health problems
sexual harassment frequently leads to financial challenges. In most cases, when
sexual requests are turned down, salaries of the harassed are held (unpaid) to
make her see the need to comply.
3.
Results
to Absenteeism:
The presence of sexual harassment in a
workplace amounts to employee absenteeism since she has influenced the Boss in
power who could have taken measures to curb the habit.
4.
Lateness
to Work:
The harassed will have a course or guts
to go to work whenever she pleases only when she has accepted to offer sexual
favour to the superior who wouldn’t have tolerated the act.
5.
Absentmindedness:
The harassed will no longer focused on
her job and as a result become absentminded and most at times day-dreaming.
Partners become distracted and neglect their other responsibilities.
6.
Job
Dissatisfaction and Turnover Intentions:
Job satisfaction tends to have an inverse
relationship with turnover intentions. Thus, if harassment persists employees
will not be satisfied with their job and they are likely to have higher
turnover intentions.
SOLUTIONS
TO SEXUAL HARASSMENT
1. Try
to maintain a friendly relationship with all but do not be too cordial.
2. Ignore
words that are likely to affect your moral disposition.
3. Report
such repeated advances to your superior officers
4. Politely
ask for transfer where the situation is unbearable
5. Learn
to dress modesty and responsibly
6. Learn
to speak unemotionally by asking the offender to avoid such immoral advances.
7. Write
a letter to the harasser. A written statement may help the harasser to stop.
Put the letter in sealed envelope and use the information from your diary to
detail specific about what happened, what behavior you want stopped, and how
you felt.
8. Ask
a friend to intervene. It is possible that mutual acquaintance can persuade the
harasser to stop. The person you may choose should be someone you are sure will
understands your level of discomfort and supports your opinion. He should be
someone the harasser respects.
CONSEQUENCES
OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT
According to
Taiwo-Omole and Omole (2014) attest that sexual harassment is often associated
with assault, bullying, coercion, discrimination, favouritism, exploitation and
intimidation as vices that play out in the sexual encounter, leaving the victim
with long-term pains that devastate their psychological well-being. Incidence
of sexual harassment is not always reported and perpetrators are allowed to go
free. This could be responsible for the unchecked reoccurrence of the behaviour
deficit. Sexually harassed individuals can suffer through a number or psychological effects ranging from initiation a
frustration to anxiety, stress and trauma. Depending on the situation, a victim
can experience anything from mild annoyance to extreme psychological damage,
while impact on a victim’s career and life may be significant and also leave
them in ruins. They went further to say that there are many physical and
psychological reactions in response to discriminatory experiences. These
includes; gastrointestinal disorders, Jaw tightening, health grinding,
dizziness, nausea, diarrhoea, muscle spasms, fatigue, neck pain, back pain,
weight loss, headache, dyspepsia, pulse changes, increased perspiration, cold
feet and hands, loss of appetite etc.
In the same perspective
Wariboko (2000) highlights the effects of sexual harassment on the victims
which includes;
1.
Loss of job or career or loss of income.
2.
Suffers humiliation and gossips.
3.
Victims become subjects of public
scrutiny or criticism.
4.
Loss of trust in environment similar to
where the harassment occurred.
5.
Extreme stress upon relationships on
peers, colleagues and others.
6.
Friends colleagues, family members may
distance themselves from the victims and shun him or her.
7.
Loss of trust on other people occupying
similar positions as the harasser.
8.
Having to relocate to another city or
another school.
9.
Loss of reference and recommendation.
THE
ROLE OF GOVERNMENT IN PREVENTING SEXUAL HARASSMENT
First and foremost, the
government should sponsor jingles against sexual harassment on the electronic
media. This is because the mass media are powerful agents of socialisation in
our society.
The
role of institution in preventing sexual harassment
1. Those
who encourage errors should desist from such immoral act. School authorities
would not have the moral courage to campaign against sexual harassment. If the
vice Chancellor, Rectors, Provost, Registrars and Lecturers are neck-deep in
sexual harassment themselves.
2. Students
caught in sexual harassment should be given outright expulsion from the
institution no matter which their parents are whoever comes to plead for
reinstatement of sexual harassment should be treated as an accomplice.
3. The
security mechanism of institution should be activated to fight effectively
against sexual harassment.
4. Every
institution should establish guidance and counselling units to counsel students
on the dangers of sexual harassment and to psychologically motivate those who
are innocent or honest in school.
5. Students
vying (aspiring) for positions to the Student Union Government should be
critically screened; those found wanting in the area of sexual harassment
should be disqualified from contesting such sensitive positions.
CONCLUSION
This paper has brought
to the fore that women at the lower cadre have been mostly harassed and it has
affected their productivity in organizations. More so, the prevalence of sexual
harassment in organizational mechanism to tackle sexual harassment and other
related violence against women in the organization.
RECOMMENDATIONS
v Organizations
should strictly adhere to rules regarding sexual harassment so that merits
prevail against it.
v Proper
communication and complaint channel through which the act can be checkmated
should be adopted while those being found guilty of such offences will be
adequately sanctioned.
v Organizations
should enforce stringent rules regarding ethics, norms, values and sanctions
against indecent dressing in the workplace.
v Unwarranted
discussions and gossips should be avoided so as to avoid synthesizing sexual
harassment in the workplace.
REFERENCES
Haralambos
M. & Holborn M. (2000). Sociology:
Themes and perspectives. London: Collins Educational Books. http://lawpadi.com.
Kpabep
L. L. & Joel, S. A. (2017). Essential
Skills for Office Communication. Joyful Concepts. Port Harcourt.
Mackinon
C. A. (1979). Sexual Harassment of
Working Women: A Case of Sex Discrimination. New haven: Yale University
Press.
Yusuf
N. (2010). Gender Issues in Nigeria’s
Industrial Relations. Journal of Arts
and Social Science. Department of General Studies.. Federal University of
Technology, Owerri.
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