Are you obligated to report sexual harassment at work?

But if supervisors were aware, what should have been done? What obligation do employees have to report sexual harassment in the workplace? There is no federal law that requires victims, confidants or witnesses to report instances of harassment on the job. That doesn’t mean they shouldn’t, of course. Supervisors are another matter.

I wanted to share this article because there are so many powerful men in the industry who have gotten away with sexual misconduct in their workplace. It is not only disgusting, but sad. I also wasnted to share this because on the news reporters talk about the companies rehiring the ladies who were harassed. I know I would feel digusted and would personally not want to go back. So my question for the class is would you go back to a place where you experienced harassment? What if it happens again? Would you feel guilty.

All these men are suspended or fired; however, it keeps happening. The article is titled “Are you obligated to report sexual harassment at work?” My answer is yes you are. But I wonder how many people do? Does it make you a coward if you hear or witness someone else experiencing the harassment, yet you keep quiet? These were just questions that ran through my mind while researching and constantly hearing in media about these big names who are being called out on their behaviors. Feel Free to comment 🙂

Joanne’s story stood out to me for so many reasons. One I felt like her story was relatable not so much in the whole alcoholic dad sense, but more so in how resistant she became to the situation and her obliviousness to how strong she really was in her situation. Her acts of resistance ended up saving herself and her mother from danger. Her story was amazing. I have heard of similar stories before and not so many people would be as strong as Joanne was in her situation and I commend her.

I even thought about the many times when I hear people say they don’t want to be anything like their parents. I remember even saying it a few times when thinking about the negative characteristics that we may think our parents have. I’m not sure if it is in fact the same. But I thought the fact that Joanne strived so hard to be the complete opposite of her dad like being an anti-racist was a similar situation. To get a little personal, my mom was kicked out of her home when she was a really young age by my grandmother. My mom made a promise to herself to never treat her children in such a way. She tries so hard to not be like my grandmother because of the pain she endured growing up. Amazing read!

Hey everyone. It is me. Caithlyn. I finally submitted my two posts which I have prolonged for some time.

This is Claire and I doing a celebration dance because I actually submitted it before midnight. BOOOYAAAAHHH!!!!

Thanks for instructing an amazing course!

This course has been fun with you all. I hope you heal and I ain’t talking bout no Antibiotic cream my friend. Be a butterfly and flap your wings. You beautiful Hunter College student!

The article brings about some interesting talking points in regard to a person resisting their oppressor. People in a place of abuse often times refer to themselves as victims. They are unable to recognize their own micro behavioral patterns as subconscious forms of resistance. They are stuck perceiving the situation in a macro sense, thereby submitting control over to the oppressor. By asking the patient to describe their actions in response to said abuse, rather than describe how they felt in that moment, the therapist is creating a space for the patient to view the situation in a micro sense, to define points of resistance.

This acknowledgement of resistance allows the person to shift their perspective from victim to resister/fighter. A way for them to find the self-reliance and confidence needed to remove themselves from an abusive situation. This kind of dialog appears to be a discussion about confidence and self-reliance. If a person is unable to perceive the things they can do, they will only be able to contextualize the things they can’t.

While reading this article I had felt a connection to this reading just from so many life experiences where I didn’t want to follow the rules.  Another reason why i connected with the article would be that I feel many people on earth suffer with not being able to talk about how they feel or experiences that they have gone through in a safe sophisticated manner; which can cause many different outcomes to happen some good some bad but the understanding of emotions and people I feel have always been a big issue in the way people live and healing is powerful subject that should always be looked at and talked about. To go against the grain to feel peace at mind is sometimes the only thing people can do. Resistance of any kind but especially emotional resistance can sometimes to a tole on us as individuals. Everyday people from all over the world deal with oppression, violence, assault, verbal abuse and sexual abuse everyday and my not know how to deal with these external forces trying to make people’s time here on earth any less unpleasant . It is human nature for people to build a resistance; sometimes this resistance can be described as defense mechanisms or tendency’s that have been built over time due to abuse, oppression or assault. These defense mechanisms are in place for the resisters to fight off the oppressors that which try to make life hard. Sometimes people who are in the oppressor position try to strive for power over the oppressed. People who are usually being abused that have resistance tendency’s can identify that what is happening to them whether it be sexual or verbal abuse, harassment or assault realize what is happening is wrong but they realize it is not they’re faults and I feel thats big take away in the process of growth. For people to recognize these unhealthy traits and try to themselves away from the oppression so the self healing can start.

This article was really enlightening in more than one way. The small section on Joanne stood out to me the most. I found it very interesting on how us as human beings protect ourselves in moments where we do not even realizing that that’s what we’re doing. For example in Joanne’s case she was protecting herself from her dad’s abuse by resisting. A quick example of Joanne’s resistance is getting a tattoo when her father clearly told her not to. As small as this example might be by her resisting and doing the exact opposite of what her father told her to do she was undermining his authority. All the different types of resisting she did growing up towards her father helped form the person she would ultimately become. Once she recognized everything she did and stopped feeling “weak” she was able to overcome depression and agoraphobia. Resistance is a type of defense that we do almost on a daily basis. We might do it in small situations like at the workplace with an entitled boss or in bigger settings like with an abusive husband.

The article by Dr. Rosemary Iconis sheds light on the various myths and falsehoods about rape/sexual assault that many men and women in this country may harbor – and how potentially dangerous that may be. While reading the article, I found myself completely recognizing every “myth” that Iconis brought up; the victim-blaming, viewing of rape as a crime of passion and the unjust beliefs surrounding the psychological consequences of rape were all perceptions I was aware of. I would encounter them in casual conversations between peers, classroom debates, social media – sometimes even in myself. Personally, I believe that they can be attributed not only to sexism and the ascription of gender stereotypes and constructs to both the victims and the perpetrators but the belief in a just world. This is a cognitive bias where one believes that all things are fair – and whatever a person encounters and experiences during their lifetime, whether positive or traumatizing – is ultimately what they deserve. This is especially prevalent in rape myths that attribute blame toward the victims of rape, such as when Iconis cites a study by Acock and Ireland (qtd. in pg 2) which found that violations of gender norms on the part of the victim (typically female) may be used as justification for their rape. Ultimately, this is an attempt to rationalize away any notion that what occured to them is something that they could not prevent once they made the decision to violate the “rules” of a gendered society, rather than the heinous actions of a person who took advantage of someone else unlawfully. Instead, the rapist becomes an inevitability and is thus absolved of the brunt of the guilt. Is this also due to the notion that male sexual aggression is “normalized” in our society? I think that may possibly be true.