Work Place Harassment
We will be talking about types of work place harassments and which ones particularly women have to endure the most. We will also discuss how to avoid work place harassment, how to address the feelings one faces after being harassed and how to cope with them.
Work place harassment is unwelcome conduct that is based on race, color, religion, sex including sexual orientation, gender identity, or pregnancy, national origin, older age (beginning at age 40), or disability. Illegal behavior towards a person that causes mental or emotional suffering, which includes repeated unwanted contacts without a reasonable purpose, insults, threats, touching, or offensive language.
In this day and age everyone faces many kinds of harassments, that not only affects mental but also their physical wellbeing. The harassment culture has existed since the beginning of times and has evolved with technology advancement. Here are some of the examples of why one might get targeted.
- Racial Harassment
- Gender Harassment
- Religious Harassment
- Sexual Orientation-Based Harassment
But for women all these issues are enhanced manifolds because no matter the reason they get put in a corner, the harasser feels the entitlement to make it worse for women just because of sheer misogyny that exist in everyone’s ( men and women alike) mindset.
Let’s talk about the kinds of workplace tortures women face
PHYSICAL HARASSMENT
Physical harassment is rare but doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. Women are often bullied by not just inflicting physical harm but also by threatening body language that imitates physical assault.
Physical gestures such as playful shoving or a soft punch to the shoulder can blur the line between appropriate or not. The person on the receiving end gets to decide whether the behavior makes them uncomfortable.
Examples of Physical Harassment
- Direct threats of intent to inflict harm
- Physical attacks (kicking, hitting, shoving)
- Threatening behaviors (shaking fists angrily)
- Destroying property to intimidate
SEXUAL HARASSMENT
Sexual harassment generally includes unwanted sexual advances, conduct, or behavior. It can be directed at the victim or just general behavior that the victim finds inappropriate.
While it’s terrible at any time or place, sexual harassment in the workplace is a form of unlawful discrimination and is taken seriously by the courts, though proving being sexually harassed is nearly impossible if one doesn’t have witnesses.
Other types of harassment might take some time and increasing severity to create a hostile work environment for the victim, whereas sexual harassment typically brings about discomfort and negatively impacts the victim’s life immediately. It affects the victim’s mental health to extreme, often creates the feeling of self-pity, self-loathing, fear, feeling objectified and hurts self-respect. Above all, mostly women try accepting the sexual advancements as part of the job, as it is so commonly experienced.
Examples of Sexual Harassment
- Sharing sexual photos (pornography)
- Posting sexual posters
- Inappropriate or unwanted sexual touching
- Inappropriate or unwanted sexual gestures
- Invading personal space in a sexual way
- Making sexual comments or jokes or asking sexual questions
PSYCHOLOGICAL HARASSMENT
Psychological harassment is tricky, the victim might feel as if it’s not real and she might be making it up in her head, as there is no tangible proof, this can have a negative impact on a person’s psychological well-being. Victims of psychological harassment often feel put down and belittled on a personal level, a professional level, or both.
Psychological harassment at work can take many forms and every situation is unique. If you’re unsure whether you are experiencing harassment, here are four questions that you can ask yourself:
- Is the behavior bothersome?
- Is the behavior hostile or unwanted?
- Has it affected your dignity or physical or psychological well-being?
- Has it created a harmful work environment?
If you answer “yes” to all these questions, then chances are that you have experienced psychological harassment at work. Any time one feels dread in the presence of a coworker, it is a sure indication that person is harming your mental well-being. The damage to a victim’s psychological and mental health often creates a domino effect, impacting their physical health, social life, and work life.
ONLINE/DIGITAL HARASSMENT
The rise of technology has connected people all over the world, social media has brought entertainment, fun, information and accessibility. But the downside is, it has made women even more vulnerable. It can starts at a very early age, as a young girl in her pre-teens having a smart phone with internet connection, can be digitally harassed and bullied while sitting under the protective roof of her parents. As many as 1 in 3 teens who use the Internet had experienced some form of harassment online.
At workplace there are several ways women are digitally harassed.
Examples of Online Harassment
This type of harassment, also called cyberbullying, is a serious concern for employers. Among many, other things, online bullies may:
- Share humiliating things about the victim by mass email or mass chat.
- Spread lies or gossip about the victim on social media.
- Sending threatening or sexual text messages directly to the victim.
VERBAL HARASSMENT
Verbal harassment is quiet common, one might think it is the least harmful form of bullying, but it still can have a devastating effect on the victim . Unlike discriminatory types of harassment (such as racial), verbal abuse is often not illegal. Instead, verbal harassment occurs when someone is consistently mean or unpleasant, especially when that behavior is directed toward their coworkers. For this reason, verbal harassment can be particularly damaging, as it might go unnoticed and unresolved.
Examples of Verbal Harassment
Obvious verbal harassment behaviors include publicly or privately:
- Threatening
- Yelling
- Insulting
- Cursing
- Intimidating
- Criticizing
- Negative Effects of Verbal Abuse
Dr. Gary Namie, a workplace bullying expert, found trends in the negative effects of verbal abuse at work. It’s common, he says, to experience:
- Feelings of shame and guilt
- Loss of passions
- Negative obsession with work even on days off
- Increase blood pressure and other physical symptoms
One can also feel dejected, depressed, aggressive and humiliated.
Conclusion: Work Place Harassment
All forms of harassments have a deep rooted negative impact on the victims, the workplace bullying needs to be addressed as soon as one feels pushed to the wall. Here are some tips to avoid any unpleasantness at the work place.
- Identifying whom employees should contact to discuss harassment questions or concerns.
- Informing the human resources of the harassment incident as soon as possible without reluctance.
- Establish boundaries with coworkers with whom you feel uncomfortable with.
- Share minimum personal information at work until you are confident of your colleagues’ sincerity.
- Keep personal and professional lives separate.
- Discuss work place harassment policies with employers before joining the job.
- Express your displeasure at the first sign of invasion of your privacy or boundary.
- Never let the harasser feel empowered by giving them the satisfaction of showing fear or weakness.
- If harassment accelerates, do not hesitate to take legal action.
Explore Work Place Harassment types, their impact, and practical strategies to address, prevent, and cope with harassment for a healthier work environment
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