Sexual harassment describes the acts that portray unwelcome sexual advances towards men and women who are not willing to be involved in the sexual activity. Most of the victims of sexual harassment are women. In this regard, the propagators of sexual harassment can be involved in using a sexually inappropriate language or trying to get sexual contact with the women. The rate of sexual harassment has increased over the years. This has been attributed to evolution in various social and cultural changes in the world today (William & Kate, 2003). Sexual harassment does not only affect the victims, but it also affects the family members, friends and other people who are close to the victims. However, there are numerous cause of the sexual harassment in various places including places of work and homesteads.
The cultural orientations are the most common causes of sexual harassment. In these cultural perspectives, the typical men have very radicalized perceptions about sex and sexuality. The cultures form a critical part of the how people behave in the society because they assist others in developing attitudes and feelings to these people (Philipe, 2003). These cultural orientation make some men to perceive women as sexual tools in the society. These factors demean the place of a woman in the society and thus they are reduced to tools that are used to manage and handle men’s sexual needs.
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Misinterpretation of various social habits is also one of the factors that have led to an increased rate of sexual harassment. Some people perceive kissing and hugging as a symbol that is used to induce sexual feelings. Consequently, once an individual in involved in a hugging session with a lady, he automatically starts contemplating having a sexual affair with a lady. This is one of the factors that makes moist men to results in sexual harassment because most of the women may not have the sexual intentions while indulging in the hugging activities.
The social traditions regarding the sexual orientations is also one of the factors that have contributed to increased sexual harassment. In the society, women have taken their position as the weaker sex. These perceptions have also been taken from the homes to the places of work. Women do not understand their worth. In that regard, men know that women are creatures that were made for them, and they can easily manipulate them to perform various activities (William & Kate, 2003). On the other hand, women do not understand their rights and know that they are always subject to the men. The women know that they cannot live without the support and guidance of men. This exposes the women to the high rates if sexual harassment.
Sexual harassment is a manifestation of the abuse of power. Most of the powerful people in various social places and places of work tend to misuse their powers by asking for sex in exchange for other favors. The powerful people harass these women because in some circumstances they are powerless, and their social position is naturally demeaned. This is one of the typical examples that portray a misuse of power in the society and the places of work (Philipe, 2003). The abuse of powers is also an exhibition of clear protocols that govern activities within the society and in the organizational setup and thus the leaders take advantage of the lack of other people’s rights to advance their sexual desires.
Sexual harassment can also be used in exchange for other material gains. For instance, in an organizational setup, a woman can be subjected to sexual harassment in order to be considered for a job. A promotion or increase in salary can also be a situation that can expose the women to these harassment situations. If the woman in question is very desperate about getting a job or acquiring a promotion, there is a likelihood of giving to the sexual advances from the people who are in a position to reward the sexual act for the material gain (Syed, 2013). Therefore in these women do not have strong principles to guide their capabilities, they are likely to waive their moral grounds in exchange for the gains they require.
Ignorance is one of the common factors that leads to sexual harassment. This is because some people are likely to misinterpret the socialization process to a sexual exploitation platform. This is as a result of lacking information about the social structures that govern the processes of socialization. Education can assist people to have the basic sexual education that is very essential towards reducing the prevalence of sexual harassment (Syed, 2013). This is also one of the factors that can assist people to understand the real intention of various socialization and sexual activities. Lack of education is also one of the factors that have made people live in the old days where sexual orientations guided the place of sexual orientations in the society.
Domestic violence is one of the factors that has led to increased levels of sexual harassment. There are various factors that may lead to domestic violence. Some of the factors include lack of understanding as a result of misunderstandings of domestic conflicts (William & Kate, 2003). Domestic violence is likely to lead to an increased rift between the members of the family and thus resulting in bitter relationships. The ultimate effects of these domestic conflicts and misunderstanding is sexual harassment to one of the partners. The most likely victims of sexual violence are women.
The gaps that exist in the laws and policies are also likely causes of sexual violence. The countries that have weak laws and policies that govern the violence are likely to predispose its members to the risk of being harassed sexually. The harassers are motivated to enhance their activities because they are likely to take advantage of the inconsistencies in the policies to justify their activities. The nature of work that women do also predisposes them to the harassment because they often work in the areas that have lower levels of protection and security. The lack of social justice is also one of the factors that contribute to the rise of the harassment situations.
Drug use and addiction is also one of the factors that lead to the emergence of the sexual harassment cases. The drugs are also likely to cause various mental problems and depression. The mental instability is likely to interfere with the psychological stability of an individual and thus making the individual to commit the harassment. The lack of cognitive stability can make an individual to lose sense and result in activities that portray violence like rape that is a typical example of sexual harassment. The possibility of harassment is also inspired by the fact that antisocial behaviors and impulsivity (Syed, 2013).
In conclusion, sexual harassment is a situation whereby an individual is forced into sexual indulgent without the will. Women are the most common victims of sexual harassment. There are various factors that lead to the harassment. These factors have led to high levels of moral and ethical decay in the society, and they are a combination of social, cultural and economic factors. Therefore, sexual harassment is one of the inhumane engagements that violate the principles that uphold the integrity to humanity.
- Philipe, I.B. (2003). Sexual Aggression. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- Syed, A.M. (2013). Sexual Harassment in the Workplace. Awaz Multimedia and Publications. Retried from http://www.ummid.com/news/2013/December/12.12.2013/workplace-harassment.html
- William, P. & Kate, B. (2003). Causes of Sexual Harassment. Human Rights Library Publication. Retrieved from http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/svaw/harassment/explore/3causes.htm
