According to an online survey by a non-profit organization called Stop Street Harassment in January 2018, it was found that more than 80% of women and more than 40% of men had experienced some form of sexual harassment and/or assault during their lifetime.
Sexual harassment can take many different forms, from verbal, which includes being whistled or catcalled at or receiving unwanted comments of a sexual nature, or it can be physical, such as holding or groping, along with other serious types like cyber harassment, in which the culprit uses email, derogatory websites and instant messaging to bully or sexually harass an individual.
Sexual harassment at the workplace is more common than many might imagine. According to a leading sexual harassment attorney in Austin, Jack Quentin Nichols, such harassment could not only ruin one’s career, it can have strong negative consequences on one’s personal life as well. This is why it is always recommended to seek the services of an experienced workplace harassment lawyer as soon as you experience any such behavior from a colleague or senior.
But, do you know why more women than men experience sexual harassment at the workplace?
Here are 3 major reason why.
- Men want to protect their Occupational Territory – In male-dominated occupations, men often use inappropriate comments to disempower, intimidate and discourage to protect their occupational territory from being invaded by women. Many high performing men take actions that allegedly bring the women to the attention of the authorities. Women are mostly found guilty of seducing the man in question and the men are either found completely innocent or gently punished for a “harmless mistake.” Women, in such cases, should immediately meet an employment law attorney.
- Women are Often Objectified – In many workplaces, men believe that women have been hired for their entertainment. As a cliché, the man tries to get closer to the woman, body brushing her or giving her a massage to relax her. Even when a woman refuses multiple times, the men always come back to them with something new, basically a new opportunity to get close to her. There is evidence that some men do react to women as sex objects, without creating any personal boundaries.
- Men Can be Spoiled by Power – It may appear creepy, but in reality, many senior executives have been accused of seeking sexual favors from women working under them. Some have been accused of exposing their genitals, while some women even report senior male executives masturbating in front of them, according to workplace harassment lawyers.
When a man is promoted in an office, there are chances that he might not be able to handle the power he has received and can end up abusing this power. Recent accusations of powerful men like Harvey Weinstein have brought this to the limelight.
Women should know that any kind of sexual harassment at the workplace is unacceptable. They have every right to hire a workplace harassment lawyer to fight against any such harassment or hostile work environments, including discrimination based on national origin, sex, race, color, disability, age, religion and others.
