Sexual harassment has been a prevalent issue in society for decades. Despite significant social awareness and activism progress, sexual harassment remains pervasive (Grosser & Tyler, 2021). Therefore, this essay explores what constitutes sexual harassment, why it persists despite social progress, and how it affects the impacted population.
I chose to research sexual harassment because it is a critical issue that has affected many individuals globally. The effects of sexual assault on victims can be severe and include psychiatric problems such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and despair (Gokten & Uyulan, 2021). Moreover, companies, academic facilities, and the general population are all impacted by sexual assault in addition to the victims themselves.
Given its ubiquity and negative consequences, the relevance of this subject cannot be emphasized. Sexual assault accusations have remained on the rise since 2017, under the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission (EEOC), with a 13.6percentage spike in allegations in 2018. (Branigan et al., 2019). Additionally, sexual misconduct is not restricted to the workplace; it also impacts other aspects of society, such as academic establishments, where an 81percent of university students claimed encountering sexual assault, according to research carried out by the Association of American Universities (Cantor et al., 2019).
Recognizing the many types of sexual assault, including quid pro quo and hostile work atmosphere intimidation, is pertinent to my field of concern. Quid pro quo assault occurs when someone in a place of authority requests sexual pleasantries in return for career development. In contrast, hostile work atmosphere assault occurs when a person generates an oppressive, insulting, or hazardous atmosphere due to sexual misconduct (Najem, 2022). Knowing the many types of sexual assault is crucial to solving the problem correctly.
This research aims to explore why sexual harassment persists despite social progress. The persistence of sexual harassment despite increased social awareness, education, and policy changes begs the question of what factors contribute to its continuation. Furthermore, this research will explore how the impact of sexual harassment can be mitigated or eliminated.
The population impacted most by sexual harassment includes women, people of color, LGBTQIA individuals, and individuals with disabilities. These groups are disproportionately affected by sexual harassment due to the intersectionality of their identities. Moreover, individuals in low-wage jobs or lacking power within their workplaces or educational institutions are also vulnerable to sexual harassment (Roscigno, 2019).
To focus my study topic, I will concentrate on occupational sexual misconduct. Workplace sexual assault is a common problem that can severely impact a person’s career and psychological well-being. By focusing on workplace sexual harassment, I can explore the factors contributing to its persistence and identify potential solutions to mitigate or eliminate its impact.
In conclusion, sexual harassment is a critical issue that requires further exploration to understand why it persists and how its impact can be mitigated or eliminated. The relevance of this topic must be considered, given its impact on individuals, workplaces, educational institutions, and society at large. By narrowing my research focus to workplace sexual harassment, I hope to identify specific factors contributing to its persistence and potential solutions to eliminate its impact.
References
Branigan, K., Nowicki, C., Buza, L., & Stein, J. (2019). CONDUCTING EFFECTIVE INDEPENDENT WORKPLACE INVESTIGATIONS IN A POST- #METOO ERA. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5bac42ccb7c92ca1ea9e4dd6/t/5d83b2841010f46908c6af41/1568912020193/Investigation.Article.pdf
Cantor, D., Fisher, B., Harps, S., Townsend, W., Thomas, G., Lee, H., Kranz, V., Herbison, W., & Madden, K. (2019). Report on the AAU Campus Climate Survey on Sexual Assault and Misconduct. https://ira.virginia.edu/sites/ias.virginia.edu/files/aau-uva-campus-climate-survey-report-2019.pdf
Gokten, E. S., & Uyulan, C. (2021). Prediction of the development of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder in sexually abused children using a random forest classifier. Journal of Affective Disorders, 279, 256–265. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2020.10.006
Grosser, K., & Tyler, M. (2021). Sexual Harassment, Sexual Violence, and CSR: Radical Feminist Theory and a Human Rights Perspective. Journal of Business Ethics, 177(2), 217–232. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-020-04724-w
Najem, L. (2022, December 14). Sexual Harassment. Papers.ssrn.com. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4314408
Roscigno, V. J. (2019). Discrimination, Sexual Harassment, and the Impact of Workplace Power. Socius: Sociological Research for a Dynamic World, 5(5), 237802311985389. Sagepub. https://doi.org/10.1177/2378023119853894
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