Is physical harassment sexual harassment?
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Female↗
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Results for “Sexual Harassment”
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Forensic aspects of sexual harassment.
Sexual harassment law presents a complex set of issues not only for lawyers but also for psychiatrists in their roles both as evaluators and clinicians. Judge Reinhardt of the US Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, summed up these complexities: "We tend these days, far more than in earlier times, to find our friends, lovers, and even mates in the workplace. We ... often discover that our interests and values are closer to those of our colleagues or fellow employees than to those of people we meet in connection with other activities. In short, increased proximity breeds increased volitional sexual activity." On the other hand, he notes that Title VII "entitles individuals to a workplace that is free from the evil of sexual intimidation or repression. It is frequently difficult to reconcile the two competing values." He goes on to ask, "When does a healthy constructive interest in romance become sexual harassment? To what extent is pursuit of a co-worker proper but of a subordinate forbidden? Is wooing or courting a thing of the past? Must a suitor cease his attentions at the first sign of disinterest or resistance? Must there be an express agreement before the person seeking romance may even hold the hand of the subject of his affection? Is it now verboten to steal a kiss? In the workplace? Everywhere? Under all circumstances or only some? Has the art of romantic persuasion lost its charm? Questions relating to love and sex are among the most difficult for society to answer." The US Supreme Court has stressed the need for common sense in evaluating cases of sexual harassment. Perhaps psychiatrists can play a sobering role in developing answers to these questions.
Confidentiality↗
Effective responses to sexual harassment.
Sexual harassment is a frequent problem for visiting nurses and other community health workers. The Sexual Harassment Intervention Model is offered as a preliminary method for organizing data for assessment and designing intervention strategies.
Community Health Nursing↗
Measuring sexual harassment: development and validation of the Sexual Harassment Inventory.
Sexual harassment is a pervasive and damaging public health problem, yet the natural history is poorly understood, and research in this area has tended to focus on prevalence reporting. We describe the development and initial validation results of a survey tool, the Sexual Harassment Inventory, that may be helpful in future epidemiologic research. This 20-item instrument can be readily adapted for use in different populations and may be scored to measure the severity as well as the occurrence of sexual harassment. Routine use of this or some other standardized measurement tool would help clarify our understanding of the natural history and health costs of sexual harassment.
Data Collection↗
Preventing and responding to sexual harassment and sexual assault [a resource guide for medical students].
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Female↗
Sexual harassment and prior sexual trauma among African-American and white American women.
This study examined the relationship between sexual harassment in work, educational, and social settings and sexual abuse in childhood and/or adulthood in a stratified community sample of 248 African-American and white American women. The cumulative impact of sexual victimization on women's sense of general well-being was also examined. Those most likely to be sexually harassed in work and social settings were women with contact sexual abuse histories, regardless of ethnicity. The work status of harassers of women with sexual abuse histories differed significantly by ethnic group. Although women with prior sexual abuse experiences from both ethnic groups most frequently reported a response to sexual harassment at work, they least frequently did so in social settings. A history of childhood sexual abuse was more negatively associated with African- American women's well-being than were repeated experiences of sexual violence. Future research should address the implications of ethnic and cultural issues on the cumulative impact of incidents of sexual violence on women of color.
Adolescent↗
Controlling liability for sexual harassment complaints.
A sexual harassment suit can cost a dentist thousands or even millions of dollars. This article focuses on how an employer can control liability for sexual harassment complaints. Sexual harassment and the employer's corresponding liabilities and duties are defined. The proper response to a sexual harassment complaint--conducting a prompt investigation reasonably calculated to end the harassment--is also detailed. It is through such an investigation that the employer can restrict or avoid liability for sexual harassment.
California↗
Ending the silent conspiracy: sexual harassment in nursing.
Sexual harassment in health care institutions presents a formidable challenge for nurse leaders as solutions and accountabilities get mired in power, politics, and a historical tradition of secrecy and silence. Harassment is devastating to all individuals, but especially to women because it blatantly violates the victim's personal autonomy and individual sense of equality. Sexual harassment lingers in the corridors of all types of organizations, preying on women as they struggle to overcome cultural and socially imposed barriers. Nurse executives must learn the subtle complexities surrounding harassment, voice strong opposition against harassment, and take swift and comprehensive action to prevent sexual harassment.
Female↗
Are men sexually harassed? If so, by whom?
Research on sexual harassment has recently expanded to include examination of men's experiences. Such research, however, has ignored the power dynamics involved in sexual harassment and typically assumed exclusively heterosexual situations. We examine legal cases illustrating the many forms that male-male harassment may take and the complex array of situations in which such harassment occurs. We then report the frequencies of experiences of harassment in three large samples of working men as well as the sex of the perpetrators of the harassment. Finally, we examine men's evaluations of these situations to determine the degree to which they found them to be harassing in a psychological sense. Our results indicate that men experience potentially sexually harassing behaviors from other men at least as often as they do from women; however, men in all samples reported relatively few negative reactions to these experiences. Future research should examine the predictors and outcomes of such situations to clarify the meaning of such behavior for male targets.
Adult↗
Sexual harassment in nursing.
Sexual harassment is a problem faced by women in the workplace which can lead to adverse psychological consequences as well as impaired work performance. Sexual harassment is about the abuse of power and status rather then merely being about sex per se and has to be viewed in the context of institutionalized male power. Although there is a relative dearth of research, there is increasing evidence that sexual harassment of nurses is common and that it can have adverse effects on nurses physical and psychological health as well as a direct impact on patient care. Nursing, by its very nature of having to care for patients bodily needs, transgresses normal social rules regarding bodily contact. This is exploited by the perpetrator who relies on nurses' caring attitude to be able to harass. A descriptive model of the processes involved in harassment is presented which offers the possibility of being able to intervene at a number of points in the process. Interventions need to be aimed at both individual and organizational levels if there is to be a prospect of reducing a major occupational stressor for nurses.
Australia↗
Gender influence on perceptions of hostile environment sexual harassment.
Perceptions of sexual harassment were investigated as a function of perpetrators' and recipients' gender. Undergraduate students (100 women, 98 men) were presented 34 scenarios of men and women interacting at work. Participants were asked to read carefully each scenario and indicate on a scale anchored by 1 (strongly disagree) and 7 (strongly agree) their opinions as to whether the scenario represented an incident of sexual harassment. Analysis indicated that women rated "hostile environment" scenarios as more harassing than men, and male perpetrators were rated as more harassing than female perpetrators. Even though some scenarios were rated as more harassing than others, the full range of the 7-point scale was used on every scenario, indicating a lack of agreement on what constitutes harassment. This lack of agreement highlights the debate within the legal community about whether the "reasonable person" or the "reasonable woman" standard should be used to judge sexual harassment in the workplace.
Adolescent↗
Sexual harassment in medical training.
BACKGROUND: Sexual harassment has become a national concern and one that is increasingly recognized in the field of medicine. Although there are reports of the sexual harassment of medical trainees, there is little information on the prevalence of this problem and whether it is adequately addressed by training institutions. METHODS: Surveys with descriptions and examples of sexual harassment were mailed to 133 internal medicine residents in a university training program. The residents were asked to report anonymously whether they had encountered sexual harassment during medical school or residency, the frequency and type of harassment, its effect on them, whether they chose to report it to a person in authority, and the factors that influenced this decision. RESULTS: Surveys were returned by 82 residents (response rate, 62 percent), 33 women and 49 men. Twenty-four women (73 percent) and 11 men (22 percent) reported that they had been sexually harassed at least once during their training. The women were more likely than the men to have been physically harassed, and the women's harassers were of higher professional status. Among those harassed, 19 of the women (79 percent) and 5 of the men (45 percent) thought that the experience created a hostile environment or interfered with their performance at work, but only 2 women and no men reported their experiences to an authority. The women cited a lack of confidence that they would be helped as the main reason for not reporting the experience, whereas men most commonly said that they had dealt with the problem without the need for outside assistance. CONCLUSIONS: Many medical trainees encounter what they believe to be sexual harassment during medical school or residency, and this often creates a hostile learning and work environment. Training institutions need to address the adverse effects this may have on medical education and patient care.
Female↗
Sexual harassment of Chinese college students.
Sexual harassment of Chinese college students with a focus on their awareness, experiences, responses, and expectations of institutional intervention to the problem was examined. 358 male and 491 female Chinese college students in Hong Kong participated. There were no gender differences in students' awareness of the phenomenon. Students' own experiences were less frequent than what they had heard about sexual harassment. Peer harassment occurred twice as frequently as faculty harassment. Compared to men, twice as many women said they had been sexually harassed. About one in four women students experienced various forms of sexual harassment and 1% were coerced into sexual activities during their college years by either teachers or peers. Students typically avoided and ignored the harassers and felt that the university should take up active roles in combating the problem. Comparisons with U.S. studies suggested that Chinese college students had a lower awareness and experience level in sexual harassment than U.S. students.
Adult↗
When sexual harassment hits home.
Sexual harassment cases illustrate the problems facing employees, including nurses' abusive experiences with both physicians and patients. Learn how to give employees the support they need and lower your liability.
Employee Grievances↗
Sexual harassment: guidelines for laboratory managers.
Sexual harassment can poison a work environment, create legal problems, and cause productivity to suffer. Excellent clinical laboratories recognize its potentially disruptive effects and develop proactive strategies to deal with sexual harassment while enacting policies that prevent its occurrence. This article outlines steps to be taken when sexual harassment is alleged. A sample organizational policy on sexual harassment is also included.
Canada↗
Sexual harassment of female registered nurses in hospitals.
Sexual harassment of nurses seriously affects nursing performance and productivity. In this survey, sexual harassment by male patients and coworkers was reported by greater than 70% of the female staff nurses surveyed. The most common manifestations of harassment were sexual remarks; however, behaviors involving touch were frequent. Nurses noted that they often confronted patients when these behaviors occurred, but were less likely to confront male co-workers. Findings suggest that nursing managers and executives must discover and eliminate sexual harassment in hospital work settings and create work cultures that discourage manifestation of sexually harassing behaviors.
Adult↗
Seven spoonfuls of preventive medicine for sexual harassment in health care.
Sexual harassment claims have increased substantially since 1990 and continue to be prominent in the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's discrimination caseload. The authors surveyed high-level training and human resource practitioners in small, medium, and large health care organizations for suggestions to counter this trend. Three fourths of these professionals suggested that behavior modeling of strong policies combined with effective training helped. The survey results suggest seven preventive medicine strategies for reducing work-related sexual harassment incidents in health care organizations.
Adult↗
Sexual harassment of female doctors by patients.
BACKGROUND: Sexual harassment within the doctor-patient relationship is typically discussed in terms of male doctors harassing female patients. We investigated the sexual harassment of female doctors by patients. METHODS: Surveys were mailed to a random sample of 599 of the 1064 licensed female family physicians in Ontario, Canada. Respondents were asked about their experiences of sexual harassment by either male or female patients and about the nature and frequency of harassing behavior. Suggestions for prevention were requested. RESULTS: Seventy percent (422) of the questionnaires were completed and returned. More than 75 percent of the respondents reported some sexual harassment by patient at some time during their careers. Physicians had been harassed most often in their own offices and by their own patients. However, in settings such as emergency rooms and clinics, unknown patients presented a proportionately higher risk. The physicians' perceptions of the seriousness of the problem varied with the frequency and severity of the incidents. CONCLUSIONS: Sexual harassment of female doctors appears to occur frequently, and it is therefore an important topic to address in medical school and professional development.
Adult↗