Rabu, 24 Mei 2023

Sexual Harassment: A Serious and Pervasive Problem

 Sexual Harassment: A Serious and Pervasive Problem

Source image: https://images.app.goo.gl/qsnsVcarX15NNc9E6

Many people assume that sexual harassment generally occurs in a quiet place but, this incident can happen anywhere, to anyone, and with any clothes. It has happened in public places such as workplaces, schools, universities, also places of worship. However, even there are many cases of sexual harassment that occurred, many victims choose to stay silent for fear of being judged by those around them because a person who has been sexually abused is often considered a shame to their family.

According to The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, sexual harassment includes unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical harassment of a sexual nature in the workplace or learning environment. Some examples of acts of sexual harassment according to the RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) Organization include unwanted touching or physical contact, physical acts of sexual assault, feeling pressured to engage with someone sexually, exposing oneself or performing sexual acts on oneself,  and unwanted sexually explicit photos, emails, or text messages.

Sexual harassment can happen everywhere, so as a man or woman we must always be careful. Viewed from a psychological point of view, many experts state that this is due to the power of the perpetrator. So it means, when the perpetrator has a higher position than the victim, then this can be one of the triggers for sexual harassment. One example of the dimensions of sexual harassment is the seducer-demander VS passive-initiator. The meaning of this dimension is the actor who is good at playing power. He actively designs his actions by taking advantage of his position. The first type, the seducer uses his position because he needs to feel wanted and loved while the demander uses his position to let the target know her position.

The number of victims of sexual harassment who choose to remain silent rather than speak up shows that victim-blaming is still very influential in our environment. When someone experiences sexual harassment, there are still many people who often ask about the clothes the victim was wearing, the place and time of the incident. The fact, there have been many cases that prove that sexual harassment can occur in women who wear hijab and can occur in places of worship. By blaming the victim's clothes or blaming the victim who goes out alone at night, of course, it is included in victim-blaming. By committing victim-blaming, it will only add trauma to the victim, because a victim of sexual harassment is not only hurt physically but also mentally.

For this reason, we must be able to protect ourselves. One way that can try is by not being a perpetrator and applying the principles of humanity. This case is a serious and widespread problem, so it requires appropriate treatment for victims and appropriate laws for perpetrators to solve this problem.


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