Protection of Victims of Sexual Harassment - Essay Example

Name: Course: Tutor: Date: Sexual Harassment Thesis: Depending on the situation of sexual harassment victims, he/she can either be protected or not thus the victims and other people should be alert at all times. 1. Sexual harassment victims can be given protection by following the laws of the country and penalties pertaining to the perpetrators of this unwelcome behavior. Developing sexual harassment legislation. Inconsistencies in the laws should be exposed. Remove the gaps present in implementation process. 2. These victims ought to take up the responsibility of self-protection since they have a right to claim for protection from the authority in charge. Victims can look for ways of avoiding situations that will make them be exposed to such incidences. Unless the victim protects him or herself, little can be done with regard to their protection measures. Sexual harassment should be reported immediately. Type of relationship should be determined. Harassers should be confronted immediately. Dealing with the situation. 3. Educating and training certain individuals who will advise members the public. In the workplace a declaration of a safe working environment can be maintained as they engage in activities, events, and meetings. Raising awareness on the effects of sexual harassment. Campaigns about sexual harassment should be organized. Introduction Sexual harassment has been defined as an unwelcome behavior of sexual nature with expressions showing unequal power relations thus victims can be protected. From the above we are able to see that it is arguable for one to say that in some sexual harassment cases, it is possible to protect the victims while in other situations it may be difficult and hard. Protection for victims of sexual harassment Sexual harassment is a vice that needs to be managed since it has rapidly grown in our contemporary society. Sexual harassment can either be physical (ogling), verbal (employers requesting for sexual favors in exchange for promotions), non-verbal (whistling), and other forms. Even though researchers have shown that it mostly affects women, we should not forget that also women can perform such ill-mannered behaviors to men. Communication as a tool of interacting with other individuals helps in creating awareness amongst people concerning the dangers involved in sexual harassment. The scholarships being provided by many of the non-governmental organizations, helps in reaching to those people living in the rural areas. They also need to be made aware of what is going on in the urban areas so that they are not ignorant when they come to the city. If you ask any woman concerning sexual harassment; she is going to tell you from an experienced person’s point of view or from a known case of it at the workplace or neighborhood. Many of the working women have suffered some form of harassment at some stage in their working environment. They may differ in the degrees of severity, but it still remains that one has been sexually harassed. In order for the government to take measures on curbing such behaviors, the population ought to give them the support they need to be able to apprehend the perpetrators. In every country, there are laws that govern such kinds of behaviors and are strict on the kind of punishments accorded to those individuals caught in the act or reported to have performed such acts. There are certain countries that sentence them to death while others give them a life sentence. Those who are given a lighter sentence are those who have no criminal activities in their records. Laws and penalties In every government, there are laws that govern the land hence for those individuals who decide to engage in immoral behaviors, the law will deal with them severely. The laws present are indulgent on some people especially if the harasser is coming from a wealthy background, then some laws are going to be twisted to suit his needs. There are still officers who are accepting bribes from these individuals which is wrong since they are the same people who go back and commit the crime since they know that the law is on their side. This is not fair for the commoner who is not wealthy enough to pay so that the perpetrator can be jailed for a long period of time or serve a community sentence. Sexual harassment is a serious offence that needs to be handled with caution since it is a violation of the human rights and dignity thus all efforts should be made in order to eliminate it completely. Those officers and bosses bringing about the inconsistencies in the laws should be dealt with to discourage others from falling prey to the mighty and wealthy who are here to satisfy their own ego (Gallop 55). They do not care for others’ welfare just theirs’. By exposing such culprits, people will trust law keepers since they have portrayed that they are there to serve all people irregardless of class and status in society. Implementing the laws will take some time, but they should be done effectively so as to avoid having gaps that create other problems in future. Penalties accorded to these perpetrators should be able to teach them a lesson or two concerning the wrong they have committed and thus at the end of their sentence they should be reformed people who are ready to teach others on the disadvantages of engaging in such activities. By so doing they will have protected another victim of sexual harassment from falling prey to another harasser for they will be made aware on the measures to take once in that situation. Victim’s rights Those individuals who have been sexually harassed should immediately report it to the authority in charge for action to be taken on the harassers without delaying since they may attack somebody else. Harassers may be suffering from a mental illness that will need medication. There is also a possibility of him/her having a chronic illness hence will risk affecting many innocent people who cross his paths unknowingly (Wilson 100). The harasser having an infectious disease would not want to die alone thus goes around attacking young women and girls. There are also incidences where the harasser has gone to the extent of attacking a goat or even a dog to satisfy his sexual thirst. After reporting the incident, the authority would want the victim to tell them the kind of relationship that existed between the victim and the harasser. This information is important for them to be able to see how to handle the case. There are some incidences that have been provoked mostly by women who dress in a manner suggesting that they are up for sell. In such cases, the woman will be responsible for whatever thing that befalls her since she was acting in a suggestive manner to the male counterpart. She made him believe that she is available and wants to be taken. Once the existing relation has been established, the law can then take its cause on those offenders who acted on their own knowing to satisfy their human flesh. The law has a system guiding it on the measures to take when dealing with such kinds of cases. If caution is not taken into consideration, the population might decide to take matters into their hands by stoning the culprit to death or even burning him alive. Victims should act fast enough by visiting hospitals in order for them to take tests that will be of help during the investigation. Curbing this vice is not easy since there are so many perpetrators engaging in this activity, but few officers are willing to help arrest them. The victim is to be guided on how they are going to deal with this period in their life that has brought about a lot of attention especially if she was an introvert. The public should also be cautioned from showing the victim pity which will lead them to a slow recovery period which is not good for them mentally. Victims need to be given encouragements on how to go on with their lives and not be afraid. They ought to attend the psychological sessions that will be beneficial to them and thus they will open up the wounds that have been buried deep within which will lead to a quick recovery process hence they will see that they have friends who care and will support them always. Healing is a process that needs time and dedication so as to fully recover (Thacker 228-232). Education and training Sexual harassment usually takes place in workplaces. In developing and industrialized countries, migrating workers find themselves at a greater risk because they are faced with problems such as inability to get work and isolation. At times they are not able to express themselves freely since they are afraid of saying the wrong thing (language barrier). Even when they are treated unfairly, they are not able to complain to their employees for fear of loosing their jobs which they searched for a long time. In the office, they will have to interact with each other a lot in order to perform the activities of the company effectively. During such times, harassers are ready to attack their victims since they are naïve to fall into their trap unknowingly. Employers are advised to put up measures that govern how one is supposed to carry him/herself when in meetings, events, and as they carry out their activities in the company. Declaring the existence of these laws helps in ensuring that those who break them are punished without showing any mercy. Employers are encouraged to create awareness programs to their employees concerning the sensitivity of sexual harassment effects and how to deal with them. Several companies have also gone a step ahead by organizing campaigns that deal with sexual harassment. This has made many people enroll in classes that deal with self protection programs that will enable them fight to the last breadth. Many people have benefited from such programs which add value to the victim’s lives (Arjus 120-125). Lastly, not all people are good advisors of complex matters like these. There are others who are ready to laugh when someone is in trouble hence managers and employers are cautioned on who to give the task of advising the victims. The training personnel will be able to enlighten the victims on the measures to take when faced with such a situation. Not all people want the best for you hence be careful on whom you confide in. Sexual harassment makes the victim mentally disturbed. They become afraid of men, the dark, very lonely paths, and even being on their own. Through these free training sessions, the victim will be given psychological evaluation by the doctor in charge handling her case to help them be able to engage in the outdoor activities and thus will learn to trust again even if it will take some time. This will give them the confidence to share with others and serve as an example for those women who are ignorant concerning self protection measures (Leslie 210). Conclusion In summary, we are able to see that there are a number of ways that can be implemented to protect those victims of sexual harassment from going through that experience again. Laws and penalties passed have helped in reducing this vice. The rights of victims, availability of counselling services and training programs will help in protecting the victims of sexual harassment. If all these measures are adhered to, many men and women who suffer from sexual harassment will be protected and saved from this menace. Indeed, protecting the victims of sexual harassment is a task that should be performed by everybody in the society since it affects each and every one of us in one way. By doing so, we are guaranteed that our future generation will work together to continue with the programs of protecting individuals from suffering in the hands of a total stranger. Works Cited: Arjus, A. Sexual Harassment in the Workplace. 2nd ed. Toronto: Butterworths, 1992. Gallop, J. Feminist Accused of Sexual Harassment. Duke University Press, 1997. Leslie, F. Sexual harassment as an ethical issue in academic life. Lanham MD: Rowman & Little Field, 2001. Thacker, R. Innovative steps to take in sexual harassment prevention. Los Angeles, CA: Roxbury Publishing, 1994. Wilson, F.M. Organizational Behavior and Gender. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 1995. Pp 100. . Bibliography Authors Evaluation Criterion 1 Evaluation Criterion 2 Evaluation Criterion 3 Arjus, A. Authority of the Authors: The author (Arjus, A) is a renown psychologist who comes from Toronto Canada. He has been a lecturer in many universities in Canada for more than twenty years. He has taught psychology in University of Toronto, university of Alberta, McMaster University and university of Ottawa. He was the head of psychology department in the university of Toronto for five years and an associate professor in the university of Alberta. Reliability The book “sexual harassment in the work place” has been recommended by the four universities he lectured as a credible article. Other universities in Canada have used the book in their course work and in guiding and counseling. The book is therefore reliable because of its comprehensiveness. Butterworths publishers have published this book as an educational book. Validity: The contents of this article have been widely referenced by many researchers. This is because the information was collected using standards which are acceptable and it has been proven to be useful for counseling people who are sexually harassed. The theories presented are useful in understanding the sexual harassment concept due to the methodology used in collecting the information. Gallop, J. Authority of the Authors: The author of this book is a professor and a well known sociologist and psychologist. He lectures at the university of Duke in North Carolina. He has published many books on psychology and sociology dealing with issues affecting the society. He has been in the fore front fighting for women and children who are sexually harassed. Gallop, J. the author of Feminist Accused of Sexual Harassment, has been accredited by many universities for his comprehensive work and research in sociology and psychology. Reliability: The research findings have been used widely by many universities in United States of America such as the university of Chicago, California Institute of Technology and Harvard university among others. Duke University Press published the book as an educational book in the fields of psychology and sociology. Validity: The contents of this book by Gallop, J. have been widely referenced by other researchers. This is because the book’s content is widely research, hence it has been accepted by many researchers because of the comprehensive methodology used. Leslie, F. Authority of the Authors: The author of the book “sexual harassment as an ethical issue in academic life” has a PhD in sociology and religion. She has published many books in sociology and religion. He has lectures for more than twenty years in many universities in the United States of America. He was the coordinator in the California institute of technology in 1987 to 1990 before he resigned and he decided to write more books on sexual harassment and ethical issues affecting the society. Reliability: The “sexual harassment as an ethical issue in academic life” is a credible, widely referenced and a recommended academic text by the Harvard university. It is published by Rowman & Little which is a recognized publisher in United States of America due to its quality content. Validity: The content of the book relies mostly on the research methods, processes, procedures and the accepted education standards drafted by qualified professionals. It incorporates the past research considering the errors made are known. The book is widely referenced because its content is the most recent. Thacker, R. Authority of the Authors: The author of the book “Innovative steps to take in sexual harassment prevention” is a well known writer and publisher of many books in sociology and psychology. Thacker, R. started research in early 1970’s. He has dedicated most of his life in research on various issues especially on gender equity and sexual harassment in the society. As a professor of sociology, he was able to write more than seven well researched books on sexual harassment within a period of five years. He has also lectured in various universities Reliability: The book is reliable in the analysis and understanding of sexual harassment in the society and how to deal with the menace. The book is reliable also because it has been referenced by many researchers as a source of their and literature review. It was published by Roxbury Publishing which is an accredited in United States of America. Validity: Due to its reliable methods of research methodology, the content of this book is valid and it can be used to come up with a comprehensive conclusion on sexual harassment. The book has been extensively referenced; hence it is valid due its content. Wilson, F.M. Authority of the Authors: Wilson, F. M. is a writer of many books on gender and equality. He specialized in sociology and gender issues especially on sexual harassment and gender equality. Wilson, F. M. is a holder of PhD in sociology from Harvard University. He has lectured in many universities in USA and currently he is an associate professor of psychology in the university of Chicago. He started research in late 1980’s to date. Reliability: The book is reliable because of its extensively researched content. It was published in a world wide recognized publisher known as McGraw Hill. Because the book has been referenced by many publishers, it makes it to be reliable. Its content is widely researched especially on sexual harassment. Validity: The book’s findings are based on a comprehensive research conducted by the author on issues related to sexual harassment. Its content is valid because many people including well known researchers have used it as a source of reference. Read More