Is sexual harassment a pervasive problem in our society today?

Resources used to support "no"

It has been more than ten years since the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) wrote its guidelines defining sexual harassment as a form of sexual discrimination and, therefore illegal, under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Is sexu al harassment such a huge problem in our society today? Or is it largely a product of hype and hysteria? The statistics show that sexual harassment is less prevalent today than it was five years ago. In a good many of the numbers reported, sexual harassment may be incidental to the case; the complaint my primarily involve another form of discrimination in Title VII territory: race, national origin, or religious discrimination, for example. Millions and millions of dollars are being spent yearly costing corporations millions in lost productivity and low employee morale. These millions are better spent elsewhere such as schools, teachers, and for medical research, for example AIDS and Cancer.

WWW

• Dershowitz, A.M. (1994). Justice. Men's Issues Page.

  An explanation and personal account as to how "assault on freedom of speech by some radical feminists has taken the form of an expanded definition of sexual harassment."

• Men's Issues Page Sexual Harassment Issues This Home Page was created and is maintained by the Whiterock Alternative, and by the Seattle M.E.N., the Men's Evolvement Network which provides information, support, and advocacy for men.

  Included in this site are many sexual harassment-related articles ranging from descriptions to personal accounts.

• Sexual Harassment--Facts vs. Myth. Men's Issues Page.

  An explanation of case law as it applies to sexual harassment in the workplace.

• U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. (1992). Questions and Answers About Sexual Harassment: identifying sexual harassment. Found at the University of Maryland at College Park Women's Studies Database.

  A description of sexual harassment and guidelines to follow should one become sexually harassed.

• Vidugiris, B. reviews Hostile Environment Rulings. Men's Issues Page.

  Discusses the implications that "hostile environment" has brought about, especially the extent to which it has been abused.

JOURNAL ARTICLES

• Bursik, K. (1992). Perceptions of Sexual Harassment in an Academic Context. Sex Roles, 27, (7-8), 401-412.

  Examines male/female differences in harassment behavior interpretations.

• Feldman-Schorrig, S.P., McDonald, J.J. (1992). The Role of Forensic Psychiatry in the Defense of Sexual Harassment Cases. Journal of Psychiatry & Law, 20, (1), 5-33.

  This study points out an often overlooked tool by clinicians on gathering "detailed information to determine whether the plaintiff may be pursuing an exaggerated or false claim of harassment because of one or more extraneous factors."

• Sheffey, S., Tindale, S.R. (1992). Perceptions of Sexual Harassment in the Workplace. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 22, (19), 1502-1520.

  Results indicate that ambiguous behaviors were perceived as being more sexually harassing in male-dominated and mixed settings than in the female-dominated settings.

• Thacker, R.A., Gohmann, S.F. (1993). Male/Female Differences in Perceptions and Effects of Hostile Environment Sexual Harassment: "reasonable" assumptions? Public Personnel Management, 22, (3), 461-472.

  "Discusses the "reasonable woman" standard adopted in 2 recent court decisions and explores the notion that gender-based differences in the definition of sexually harassing behaviors do, in fact, exist." Both men and women perceive sexual harassment in different ways.

• Underwager, R., Wakefield, H. (1993). Adverse Psychological Evaluations in Civil Suits Involving Sexual Misconduct by Professionals. American Journal of Forensic Psychology, 11, (4), 35-60.

  Addresses the implications of performing psychological evaluations in civil suits alleging sexual harassment by therapists and other professionals. Suggestions for discriminating true and false claims are provided.

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