"Victimhood" and the Implementation of Sexual Harassment Policy

Abstract

This article explores a critical policy conundrum Most organizations have sexual harassment policies, most employees are aware of such policies; there appears to be widespread agreement regarding the behaviors which constitute sexual harassment, and, substantial numbers of employees experience sexual harassment Yet, formal reporting rates are extremely low Several alternative "causes" of this conundrum are explored, that employees are not knowledgeable about procedures, that they prefer informal solutions, that victims fear or know of negative reactions to complaints, that incidents were judged to be too "minor" to warrant complaint, or that victims are reluctant to acknowledge that they are indeed victims of sexual harassment. Survey responses from employees in two public sector organizations indicate that fear of possible negative consequences and an unwillingness to admit to "victimhood" reduce formal reporting and hence represent roadblocks to full implementation of sexual harassment policies.

The influence of sexual harassment frequency and perceptions of organizational justice on victim responses to sexual harassment

“…Managers should also ensure that they take all complaints seriously and take care that they behave sympathetically towards the complainant (Bies & Moag, 1986;Leventhal, 1980;Offerman & Malamut, 2002). Increased awareness surrounding the complaint process might also be helpful (Reese & Lindenberg, 1997). Training sessions that alert employees to the existence of sexual harassment grievance policies and procedures and the exact steps necessary for filing a grievance may help to promote perceptions of fairness.…”

Sexual Harassment: Undermining the Wellbeing of Working Women

“…Other researchers fi nd that, after sexual harassment training, individuals (especially men) report increased knowledge of organizational policies and behaviors that constitute sexual harassment (Antecol and Cobb-Clark 2003 ;Bingham and Scherer 2001 ). Sexual harassment training is also associated with greater satisfaction with the organization's harassment policies or reporting procedures (Magley et al 2004 ;Reese and Lindenberg 1997 ). Moreover, recipients of training are less likely to blame victims or trivialize sexual harassment (Lonsway et al 2008 ;Magley et al 2004 ).…”

“…Additionally, some social scientists argue that formal reporting is the most appropriate or effective means of dealing with sexual harassment (e.g., Knapp et al 1997 ;Reese and Lindenberg 1997 ). However, these claims are not supported by a majority of empirical research on reporting.…”

Assessing Local Government Sexual Harassment Policies

“…However, research has suggested that training for employees may be critical in increasing awareness of sexual harassment (Reese & Lindenberg, 1997) and use of formal complaint processes (Reese & Lindenberg, 1999). Similarly, training for supervisors may also lead to greater confidence in, and use of, policies by employees.…”