Vol. 1, No. 20, October 27th, 2010
TITLE: I THINK SEXUAL HARASSMENT IS REVOLTING…THE BRITNEY SPEARS LAWSUIT – I WILL WAIT AND SEE!*”
My book of the week is:”Disclosure” by Michael Crichton. Hence my topic is sexual harassment.
“IT WORDS FOR ME!*”
For today, my word/phrase(s) are: “Sexual harassment“.
Sexual harassment
It is intimidation, bullying or coercion of a sexual nature, or the unwelcome or inappropriate promise of rewards in exchange for sexual favors.[1]
(Source: Wikipedia the free encyclopedia) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_harassment
Bonus fact #1: Origin of the term
“The term sexual harassment was used in 1973 by Dr Mary Rowe in a report to the then President and Chancellor of MIT about various forms of gender issues. … In the book In Our Time: Memoir of a Revolution (1999), journalist Susan Brownmiller quotes the Cornell activists who in 1975 thought they had coined the term sexual harassment: “Eight of us were sitting in an office … brainstorming about what we were going to write on posters for our speak-out. We were referring to it as ‘sexual intimidation,’ ‘sexual coercion,’ ‘sexual exploitation on the job.’ None of those names seemed quite right. We wanted something that embraced a whole range of subtle and un-subtle persistent behaviors. Somebody came up with ‘harassment.’ ‘Sexual harassment!’ Instantly we agreed. That’s what it was.” (p. 281)” (Source: Wikipedia the free encyclopedia).
Bonus fact #1-A: Occurrences
“Sexual harassment can occur in a variety of circumstances. Often, but not always, the harasser is in a position of power or authority over the victim (due to differences in age, or social, political, educational or employment relationships). Forms of harassment relationships include:
- The harasser can be anyone, such as a client, a co-worker, a teacher or professor, a student, a friend, or a stranger.
- The victim does not have to be the person directly harassed but can be anyone who finds the behavior offensive and is affected by it.
- While adverse effects on the victim are common, this does not have to be the case for the behavior to be unlawful.
- The victim can be any gender. The harasser can be any gender.
- The harasser does not have to be of the opposite sex.
- The harasser may be completely unaware that his or her behavior is offensive or constitutes sexual harassment or may be completely unaware that his or her actions could be unlawful. Adapted from the U.S. EEOC definition
- Misunderstanding between Female-Male Communication: It can result from a situation where one thinks he/she is making themselves clear, but is not understood the way they intended. The misunderstanding can either be reasonable or unreasonable. An example of unreasonable is when a man holds a certain stereotypical view of a woman such that he did not understand the woman’s explicit message to stop.(Heyman, 1994)
One of the difficulties in understanding sexual harassment is that it involves a range of behavior, and is often difficult for the recipient to describe to themselves, and to others, exactly what they are experiencing. Moreover, behavior and motives vary between individual harassers” (Source: Wikipedia the free encyclopedia).
Bonus fact #2: Types of sexual harassment
“There is often more than one type of harassing behavior present, so a single harasser may fit more than one category.” The type classifications are as follows.
- Mother/Father Figure (a.k.a. The Counselor-Helper)
- Unintentional” (Source: Wikipedia the free encyclopedia).
STUDY/STATISTICS
Canadian stats
Some are as follows.
” * One in four women and one in ten men have experienced some form of sexual harassment in the workplace. (Saskatchewan Women’s Secretariat.)
* 87% of Canadian women report experiencing sexual harassment. (Statistics Canada: Violence Against Women Survey, November, 1993.)
* 43% of all Canadian women have been sexually harassed at work.
* 8% of those who are harassed at work report the harassment. (The Way Forward: Rethinking the Problem of Workplace Sexual Harassment, 2002, Sexual Assault Centre London.)
* 8 out of 10 female students said they had been sexually harassed at school. (“The Joke’s Over – Student to Student Sexual Harassment in Secondary Schools”, published by The Ontario Women’s Directorate, The Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation and the Ministry of Education, (1995))” (Source: http://www.sacha.ca/home.php?sec=17&sub=43).
S & R* NEWS ALERT* #1: Fernando Flores v. Britney Spears
Fernando Flores, ex-policeman and former bodyguard, launched a lawsuit against Britney Spears, alleging that she repeatedly paraded herself around in the nude and had sex in front of him. In the suit, he alleges that the star caused him “shock, horror and disgust” after she bent over in front of him and exposed herself. He also made claims about her treatment of her two kids. He demanded damages due to distress. The star’s position, as per statement released on her web site, was:
“This lawsuit is another unfortunate situation where someone is trying to take advantage of the Spears family and make a name for himself. The Department of Children and Family Services conducted a proper investigation surrounding Mr. Flores’ accusations and have closed the case without any further action. Ms. Spears and her attorneys have every expectation that this matter will be dismissed by the courts” (Source: www.britneyspears.com Thursday, Sept. 9, 2010).
(Editor’s Note: These are only allegations – we caution readers that as of now they are not proven. We have no further news as of yet as to the progress or outcome of the case. To the best of our knowledge, what we do know is that a suit has been filed and Spears made the above statement in response via the Internet. This said, at least this matter brings sexual harassment to the public’s attention.)
S & R* NEWS ALERT* #2: Registry of lechers in the workplace
A Las Vegas web site e-BossWatch has launched a “National Sexual Harassment Registry”. It lists persons accused of sexual harassment in the workplace. It allows people to anonymously rate their bosses online. I think that it may be helpful to stop this seedy behavior; but I am uncomfortable about people making wild unsubstantiated allegations anonymously. I also have privacy concerns (Source: Leung, Wency “Registry of lechers in the workplace”, The Globe and Mail, Tuesday, July 27, 2010, pg L3).
MY LIFE & TIMES*
While I have not faced this particular challenge, I have spoken to some who have experienced such and I asked questions.
This is not a behavior without victims. Today, I give you four real life victims.
Victim #1: A young college girl had a part-time job in a grocery store. The owner’s son harassed this young woman by touching her and making suggestive remarks. As a result, she started distancing herself from him. However, he still didn’t get the message. At a certain point, she filed a complaint with the union. In the end, with no help or relief forthcoming, she quit. The harasser, unchecked, caused the employer to lose a good employee.
Victim #2: Another young lady I knew, employed in a school, was continually harassed by a teacher, 20-years her senior. He brought her gifts and invited her for lunch. She consistently and repeatedly refused his offers. He carried on non-stop. She next filed a complaint with the school. While the harasser finally got the message and stopped his advances, the young woman had suffered inappropriate behavior for much too long.
Victim #3: A woman was the supervisor of a certain married man. She repeatedly made advances towards him. Embarassed, his initial approach was to laugh it off, hoping that she would get the message. She persisted – her offers did not stop. His remedy was to transfer out of the department. The harasser, unchecked, caused the department to lose a good employee.
Victim #4: My daughter then of junior college age, told me about a classmate who was sexually harassed by a teacher. I understood that she found this very upsetting. She lodged a complaint. Initially, the complainant thought that it was swept under the proverbial rug. For a time, it was kept quiet. Eventually, the system worked and the teacher was told to resign.
(Editor’s note: Due to the delicate nature of this topic, some facts were changed to mask identities.)
THE AUTHOR: John Michael Crichton
Big in stature – he was 6′ 9″; this did not explain the magnitude of this remarkable gentleman (born on October 23, 1942) – he passed away on November 4, 2008. He was educated, graduating from Harvard, undergraduate and then medical school. This MD became a writer, screenwriter, producer and director. Indeed he was a prolific author. His stories and characters dot our pop culture through the years and are icons, being a part of my frame of reference. Such are continuing to charm the next generations. He was a true giant through his extensive body of work, variety and also the success achieved through skill, hard work, being in tune with his audience and the shrewd perception of commercial viability.
(Fact source: Wikipedia the free encyclopedia)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Crichton
SERIES/COLLECTION
Books
Michael Crichton’s novels include Andromedia Strain, The Terminal Man, Congo, Sphere, Jurassic Park, Disclosure and Rising Sun, to name a few.
Movies
Andromeda Strain: The movie of the techno-thriller tells the story of a team of scientists investigating a deadly ET micro-organism.
Jurassic Park:The movie of the dino-thriller theorizes about the possibility of dinosaurs’ being recreated by genetic engineering. Stephen Spielberg directed the blockbuster. There were several sequels. What a spectacle to behold. And it was very entertaining to boot.
Disclosure: The movie pitted Demi Moore against Michael Douglas, no lightweights here. The movie brought the story to life. It worked for me!
THE BOOK: “Disclosure” by Michael Crichton.
The book first hits you over the head with the surprising reversal of roles in the sexual harassment equation. The woman is the aggressor. Flirting was not spoken there. It was a full blown seduction. Sparks were flying. Next, it elaborates the difficulty on several levels suffered upon the victim, a man, as for example: (a) career/business; (b) marriage; (c) children/family; etc. The complexity of this very human dilemma was laid bare.
Readers lived the discomfort through the victim and then the escalating angst and frustration all the way to full-blown war, such with a slice of misinformation to add even more spice to an already hot meatball of a story. The real plus is that it gets you to think about this wretched behavior. It is a great yarn ; if you pick it up, you will be a winner!
CONCLUSION
My personal comments
When toddlers are brought to nursery pre-school and then to kindergarden, the theory is that they will start the socialization process. As they grow up, the plan is that they will learn appropriate behavior with others particularly with the opposite sex. They will learn that there is a time and place for everything. When older, they will learn what and when flirting and romancing are acceptable.
At the workplace, I do not understand how someone in management with a supervisory position, seemingly loses all intelligence, common sense and propriety. These aggressors cross the line without any regard for others.
This said, a person, more often a man, might compliment a victim, more often a woman annoying at first, then later much worse. In the workplace, this isn’t appropriate. Many Human Resources (HR) centers have policies in place for this problem. It is also illegal in many jurisdictions.
Most people agree that sexual harassment is wrong and must be stopped. In my view, a perpetrator should be reported. A person who repeatedly mis-speaks and/or acts without gentility is lacking social skills or more. He or she has a problem and deserves one or more of the following: (a) a good dressing down by the boss or supervisor; (b) a complaint filed against him or her at the Human Resources (HR) department; (c) a letter put in his or her personnel file; (d) a proper office etiquette training, as ordered by his or her employer; (e) a criminal complaint made and/or charge brought; (f) a civil claim filed in court seeking a condemnation for damages; etc.
Nevertheless, I do not want to rain on your parade, but in my view, it is VERY hard to live through sexual harassment and also to prove it at the inquiry/hearing .
The point
Unfortunately, sexual harassment exists and does occur in the workplace. I have reflected. Here are a few suggestions:
1. Be on guard for unwanted romantic talk/innuendo, advances, physical contact: touching, etc.;
2. Do not ignore not a single incident as one unchecked, with the perpetrator emboldened, leads to another and so on;
3.Say, lightly, breezily, but clearly, that the perpetrator’s words and/or acts make you uncomfortable; and say: “Once advised, now knowing how I feel, I am certain that you (the perpetrator) will stop;
4. Inquire as to whether your: (a) Firm or organization has a policy against sexual harassment;(b) Country, state/province, etc. have laws against sexual harassment; etc.
5. Seek out community support groups for sexual harassment victims;
4. Be respectful, but firmly state, if the behavior continues, that you did not like the remark or act. And then add: “I ask you to please respect my wishes and immediately stop this behavior.”
5. Use passive aggressive behavior to counter this harrassment;
6. Think long and hard before going above the head of the perpetrator; but do so, if there is no other way;
Indeed, I give sexual harassment a rating of “R” for revolting. Let us obliterate sexual harassment at work or wherever. Are you with me?
Take it out for a spin and tell me if you agree.
And that’s my thought of the week on books, what’s yours? *
ALP
“Books are life; and they make life better!*”
CREDITS
-Web Tech: richmediasound.com
The above is a new media production of Valente under its “United Author*” program.
*TM/© 2010 Practitioners’ Press Inc. – All Rights Reserved.