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Sexual Harassment Awareness Series No. 5

Myth: Any unwanted touch, sexual comments, or sexual attention is discriminatory and should immediately be considered sexual harassment.
Reality:  Sexual harassment is not about sexual desire, and what bothers one person won't necessarily bother another person.  In many cases, mild behavior is being labeled sexual harassment when it is really a matter of personal comfort, space, cultural difference, or even a simple miscommunication.  In these cases, the recipient(s) needs to communicate their feelings about the behavior so that the person or people engaging in the behavior know this is offensive or unwanted.  If the behavior continues even after there has been an attempt to resolve the conflict, this is an indication there could be a larger problem that involves discrimination or abuse.
Myth:  We live in modern times, and sexual harassment is becoming less of a problem.
Reality: Sexual harassment affects 40 to 60 percent of working women, with similar statistics for female students in colleges and universities. 10-20% of men have experienced sexual harassment in the workplace. Approximately 13,000 sexual harassment cases are brought to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) each year.
Myth:  Sexual harassment is inevitable when people are working together.
Reality: While interactions between people may be inevitable, uninvited sexual overtures are not.

Information courtesy of http://www.sexualharassmentsupport.org/ Copyright © Control