Forum (Spotlight Weekly)

How Sexual Harassment Affects The Mental Health?

By Dr. Niranjan Prasad Upadhyay

What is sexual harassment?

Sexual harassment involves unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors or verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature. It is often imposed upon a person in an unequal power relationship through the abuse of authority. A hostile work environment occurs when a co-worker, supervisor, contractor, visitor, customer or vendor, engages in unwelcome and inappropriate sexually based behavior, which is severe or pervasive enough to render the workplace or academic atmosphere intimidating, hostile or offensive. Usually a pattern of this sort of behavior is required, but one incident can be enough, if it is severe or outrageous. Sexual harassment can be exhibited using three types of behaviors - verbal, non-verbal behaviors and gestures, and physical contact. There is no typical harasser. A harasser can be male, female, young, old, and from any ethnic background. Harassers generally look for "victims" who are weaker and less likely to have the ability or the inclination to fight back. This is generally because they fear retaliation in the form of loss of employment, economic loss, loss of benefits, loss of status, loss of promotional or advancement opportunities or, in some cases, fear of physical or emotional harm.

Sexual harassment and mental health

Women who are harassed may also suffer from diversified mental health problems like low self-esteem, self-blame, impaired family and social relationship, and depression with their lives. Organizations also suffer from loss of work (which can be calculated into economic costs) when the morale of women workers is low and when they quit because of harassment. Sexual harassment is not inevitable or natural. Organizations can reduce it by educating people about the problem and punishing harassers. In Nepalese context, sexual harassments are also found in the workplace environment. Studies have shown that girl carpet weavers are frequently sexually harassed, teased or raped. In carpet and garment sectors, verbal sexual harassment is common. In such sectors the male workers often commit physical abuse on female workers like pinching on the buttocks, embracing, holding hands, caressing etc. Basically, such types of harassment raise extreme mental health problems to the workers.

Categories of sexual harassment

Sexual harassment falls into two categories. One category is quid pro quo which is a Latin phrase meaning something for something. This form of harassment occurs when the supervisor offers the individual something of value, such as a job or promotion, in return for sexual favors or other sexual conduct. This type of sexual harassment only occurs when a supervisor-subordinate relationship exists. The other form of sexual harassment is hostile environment. Sexual harassment is not a matter of offering something of value in return for sexual conduct. It involves situations where the workplace atmosphere is so sexually pervasive that it affects the employee’s ability to work effectively or creates an abusive or intimidating environment. In hostile environment situations, the employer’s liability begins when the employer knows or should have known of the harassing conduct. Hostile environment harassment can result from the actions of managers or supervisors, fellow workers, or outsiders. Sexual harassment is not about a loving, caring relationship. It is not about respect and admiration of fellow employees. It is about power and control over others. It is about trying to enhance one’s self image by demeaning others and attacking their dignity.

Sexual harassment is deliberate or repeated unsolicited verbal comments, gestures, or physical contact of a sexual nature that is unwanted. It is a form of abuse that includes obscene remarks, dirty jokes, or suggestive comments about one’s sexual habits or personal life. It may also include threats and coercion to put out, being grabbed and fondled, and even being raped. Sexual harassment can happen to any woman, young or old, in any kind of job. Young women who are unattached to men are more likely to be harassed than married women. Psychologists have focused that men have greater authority, status, and material power in the workplace; they are able to force their sexual attentions on women.

Sexual harassment and consequence

Sexual harassment is a problem faced by women in the workplace, which can lead to adverse psychological consequences as well as impaired work performance. In general, sexual harassment is about the abuse of power and status rather than merely being about sex per se and has to be viewed in the context of institutionalized male power. Studies indicate that the women younger than 40 years old are significantly less tolerant of sexual harassment than older women. In contrast, male workers' tolerance of sexual harassment decreases with age up until the age of 50 years, after which their tolerance level of sexual harassment increases significantly. Sexual harassment influences both proximal and work-related variables (e.g., job satisfaction, work withdrawal, job withdrawal) and psychological outcomes (e.g., life satisfaction, psychological well-being, distress).

Most cases of sexual harassment still go unreported: as many as ninety-five percent of all such incidents may not be brought to light. Sexual harassment can result in absenteeism, lower productivity, increased health-care costs, poor morale, and employee turnover. Harm caused by sexual harassment is often extreme, including humiliation, loss of dignity, psychological (and sometimes physical) injury, and damage to professional reputation and career. Sexual harassment in the organization presents an ongoing and growing risk to businesses operating in the developed and developing countries.

Sexual harassment is normally seen as most often affecting women, though, the victim as well as the harasser may be male or female. The harasser can be the victim’s supervisor, an agent of the employer, co-worker, and a supervisor in another department or a non-employee. Increased workplace use of the Internet and other computer-mediated communication has raised cyber sexual harassment.

Legal provision and sexual harassment

Nepal’s law does not have adequate provision for the protection of people from various forms of sexual harassment prevalent in the society. Females think sexual harassment as a serious problem that violates their personal space while males view it as something they do for fun. In reality, women are increasingly entering male dominated professions and trades. So, there are chances of sexual exploitation in workplace situation. However, sex equity in the world of work has not yet been achieved. Psychologically, harassment always distorts the personality of the individual.

Concluding remarks

Prevention of sexual harassment must include individuals, employers, and the health care professionals. Individuals can take steps to stop sexual harassment by reporting the incidents and confronting the harassers. Awareness and prevention programs must be applied to maintain healthy and congenial environment in the organization. It is, however, more important to control sexual harassment so that no employee will have to put up with such degrading behavior - so that each employee will be treated with the level of dignity and respect.

(Dr. Upadhyay is a joint secretary at the Public Service Commission where he works as a senior psychologist)