Sexual harassment has become a social problem across the globe. A survey conducted in 2014 showed that 65% of all women in the USA had at least experienced sexual street harassment. 23% had been sexually touched, 20% had been followed whereas 9% had been forced to engage in a sexual physical activity ( Mimiaga et al ., 2015). Generally, there are five broad types sexual harassment; gender harassment which includes generalized sexist statements and behaviors, seductive behavior which includes sexual advances, sexual bribery which includes solicitation of sexual activities in exchange of other favors, sexual coercion and imposition ( Mimiaga et al ., 2015).
To deeply understand the subject of sexual harassment as a social problem and why it has become so rampant, perhaps we need to understand how it came to being in the first place. During the 17 th and 18 th centuries when slavery was at its peak particularly in the U.S, sexual coercion was common whereby women would be sexually mistreated. The same was also a common phenomenon in the late 19 th and early 20 th century more so in industries where women were employed. Surviving accounts of women employed during this period reveals that men, especially those in higher positions, would impose sexual relations on these women. These sexual relations would range from assault to all manner of unwanted physical or verbal advances. Notwithstanding all these predicaments undergone by these women, they were always blamed for putting themselves in these situations.
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Women who came out to decry their misfortunes of sexual harassment were always subjected to public condemnation coupled with discrimination. As such, sexual harassment for over a long period of time was normalized without being regarded as a social problem by its perpetrators. Sexual harassment in its modern understanding was first discussed in 1970 at an academic council meeting in Massachusetts Institute of Technology were framework guidelines and policies regarding the same were formulated. This also formed the basis of its codification under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act which seeks to protect people from sexual harassment. Although for over a long period of time sexual harassment has been understood in terms of women being the victim, the scope has now expanded with the definition now encompassing male victims as well.
Although tremendous effort has been put in place to try curbing sexual harassment, it is still a problem and this owes to a number of factors with the most outstanding one being poverty. Poverty makes people vulnerable to sexual harassment more so women and children. A report by the United Nations Human Rights Commission indicated that high number of sexual harassment cases have been reported in areas with high levels of poverty ( Murphy et al., 2015). The report further intimates that the most of the perpetrators of these acts usually threaten their victims who take these threats seriously since they are of the belief that they are at a disadvantaged economic position and as such cannot do anything to the perpetrator ( Wissink et al., 2015). In countries such as Mexico, it has been noted that minority groups are usually the prone to sexual harassment since poverty is prevalent among this particular group of people ( Murphy et al., 2015).
Lack of awareness amongst the people is also a factor contributing to the high number of sexual harassment cases reported (Spencer et al., 2014). Some of the victims of sexual harassment do not even have idea that they are actually victims of the same. For instance, the United States ' Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) notes that sexual harassment could range from unwelcome sexual advances to verbal harassments which most of the victims just rub off as something normal without knowing that they have been subjected to sexual harassment (Spencer et al., 2014). This ignorance on this subject matter can, however, be cured by raising the level of awareness on people. A survey by the European Commission done using 128 participants showed that most people do not even know how to read the sexual predators’ behavior in advance and thus quickly fall into their traps ( Krahé et al., 2016). With an increased level of awareness, some of these cases can be avoided.
Children have been noted as being the second highest victims of sexual harassment ( Morrison et al., 2017). However, the subject of discussion in relation to children has always been; a t what age should children be exposed to the topic of sexual abuse and harassments? It has been noted that it is challenging for parents to discuss issues of sexual harassment with their children ( Morrison et al., 2017). With such ignorance on children, this makes them vulnerable to sexual predators hence falling victim to cases of sexual harassment. After being harassed, it has also been noted that most children do not disclose to anyone due to the fear of being victimized ( Morrison et al., 2017).
The advance of technology has played a role in the contributing to the high number of sexual harassment cases (Stanley et al., 2016). With this advent in technology, young people are exposed to materials such as pornography which usually has a negative psychological effect on them promoting them to engage in sexual harassment acts (Stanley et al., 2016). It has been postulated that young people who watch or access pornographic materials are at a higher chance of committing sexual harassment offense if they cannot have their sexual desires quenched in the right way (Stanley et al., 2016). In addition to this, technology has played a role in normalizing sexual harassment through cyber bullying of victims over the internet ( Dworkin et al., 2018). In a 2016 study by the University of Southern California which involved more than 4,000 comments on 52 articles about rape in various publications, it was opined that one in four of all comments included victim blaming ( Dworkin et al., 2018). Victim blaming in form of cyber bullying has been termed as one of the main reasons as to why victims of sexual harassment chose not to share their stories with anybody ( Dworkin et al., 2018).
It has been established that in most of the sexual harassment cases reported, more than 89%, usually occur at the work place. For instance, nurses providing healthcare services are prone to this type of harassment. Shocking statistics have revealed that 47% have experienced a form of sexual harassment at one point in the course of their business (Spector et al., 2014). The case is worse for nurses who work over the night shift. The burden of preventing sexual harassment at work usually lies on the employer and thus shall be held liable in cases where he/she fails to take all reasonable steps to prevent the same (Spector et al., 2014). All employers are required to formulate anti-harassment policies.
With the existing high number of sexual harassment cases, some organizations have made it their objective to try and reduce the same. One such organization is the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN) which is a national organization that helps victims of all forms of sexual harassment. RAINN carries out national programs with the aim of preventing sexual assault including sexual harassment through rising of awareness. In addition, the organization provides support programs to the victims including ensuring that perpetrators are brought to justice. RAINN is also actively involved in the formulating of public policy with the aim of curbing sexual harassment.
However, the work done by RAINN has not come without challenges with the main one being receiving enormous critics from opposing groups. A number of anti-feminists and sexual minority groups have come out to condemn the organization on grounds that their programs are mainly focused on helping only women who are alleged victims of sexual harassment ignoring other groups such as homosexuals who are apparently more subjected to such harassments. In 2014, RAINN also received nationwide condemnation from a number of organizations for the recommendations they had submitted to the White House that proposed to have a criminal justice system response to sexual harassment cases. The opposing groups were of the opinion that the criminal justice system is ill equipped and thus having them act as the focal response would be equal to denying victims justice. RAINN has, however, intensified its public awareness programs in a bid to counter the condemnations and critics from such opposing groups.
In conclusion, all though considerable effort has been employed with the view of curbing sexual harassment, the same still remains a social problem that needs urgent intervention. Each day cases of sexual harassment are reported and this rot is also present in high public offices meaning that there is still more that needs to be done.
References
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