Are Men impacted by Sexual Harassment?
A bad touch! Not only does it feel wrong, but it can also tarnish the esteem of the person suffering. Several regulations exist to prevent the same, and reaching a sexual harassment lawyer is always a solution. However, are we still not listening about the instances of persecution now and then? Yes, listening to or witnessing it at workplaces is not uncommon! Irrespective of the nation, workplace type, and the atmosphere, several employees face slurs, sexual invites, and uncomfortable comments. If you or someone you know has faced it, it is always advisable to reach a sexual harassment lawyer.
Wait!
Are females the only ones suffering and males the ones making them suffer? Probably till the time we see the other side of the coin!
Even though women are mostly the victims of sexual harassment, the cases of men suffering from it are rising too. Before turning the scenario upside down, let’s take a closer look at what it actually is!
Defining Sexual Harassment
Sexual Harassment can include any gestures, comments, requests, and statements of sexual nature. It can turn the workplace into an offensive, hostile, or intimidating space. On the more comprehensive side, it can be pressure or requests for favors and unwanted touching. The cornering, groping, or leaning on and kissing, patting, hugging, or stroking come under it too.
Apart from these and unwanted sexual gestures, jokes, remarks, questions, telephone calls, or letters of sexual nature fall under sexual harassment as well. Standing close, brushing up, rubbing, touching oneself around the other person, and elevator stare is also inappropriate. Not just this, but no one in the workplace can put pressure on you to go on dates, doing so is also harassment.
Apart from the above-stated conditions to define sexual harassment, you must also know about these criteria:
- There is no specific gender of the victim and the victimizer. Both of them can be of opposite or same genders.
- The victimizer can be a co-worker, supervisor, non-employee, or even a member working in the other department in the same organization.
- Sexual harassment cannot need economic harm or loss of employment to file for legal action.
- Apart from the person suffering from the inappropriate behavior, the one to complain can be anyone witnessing the incident and impacted by it.
Men as the victim of Sexual Harassment
Even though most cases related to sexual harassment presented with the EEOC have more women as victims, the cases with men suffering are not less. In fact, 6,822 claims of sexual harassment were filed in the year 2015, out of which 17.1 percent had men as victims. In 1998, the Supreme Court of the United States held that men are saved from sexual harassment at the workplace under Title VII, Civil Rights Act, 1964.
The bottom line is that the wrong intention does not have a specific gender and nor does the victim.
The Role of the Employers
For any employer, it is necessary to restrict instances of sexual harassment at the workplace. They need to ensure both correction and prevention. In California, businesses with 50 employees or more have to provide all supervisors with sexual harassment prevention training every two years.
It can include defining sexual harassment as per the regulations, conducts leading to it, policies designed to help victims, ways to avoid this harassment, and their obligations to report any incident. It can also comprise the methods to correct the behavior, elements of the anti-harassment policy, and ways to implement them.
To provide training, employers need to have qualified professionals. It can include Attorneys, HR professionals, Harassment Prevention Consultants, or Qualified Instructors from Law School.
The Last Words…
Men can be victims too! Irrespective of gender, it is essential to state the harassing situation. If you are someone who has been harassed or has witnessed someone getting harassed, you can complain without any fear. You must know that your employer or senior authorities cannot retaliate, fire, or lessen the benefits you deserve to have. It might look scary or weird, but the situations you are suffering from can turn scarier. No matter what your gender is or how often the instance took place, speak up. Speak up now! Because your ignorance can provoke the harasser to do more. Reach up to a sexual harassment lawyer and file for your right. Nobody has a right to leave you with disgust, and if you keep ignoring or tolerating it, nobody would come forward and protect you.