Psychological damage caused by sexual harassment at work

Experiencing sexual harassment in the workplace can lead to serious psychological harm in workers, according to new research.

While sexual harassment is primarily aimed at women, men are also targets of such behaviour. Perpetrators of sexual harassment in the workplace are not only supervisors and superiors, but are also coworkers, subordinates, customers and clients.

According to the 2017 article ‘Sexual Harassment: Have We Made Any Progress?’ published in the American Psychological Association’s Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, women tend to report more adverse effects than men after experiencing workplace sexual harassment. These may include anxiety, depression, eating disorders, drug and alcohol abuse, post-traumatic stress and a lower level of overall happiness.

Women are more likely to report sexual harassment than men, according to the research, but “studies indicate that men may be at a higher risk of mental health issues and depression”. Men in the military are 10 times more likely to experience sexual harassment than civilian men, but an estimated 81% of military men who are harassed do not report it.

“Sexual harassment in the workplace is a significant occupational health psychology problem,” said APA President Antonio E Puente.

“Psychological research has offered understanding into the causes of workplace harassment, as well as some strategies for preventing or reducing it. However, there is limited research regarding the characteristics of harassers, which makes it difficult to predict who will do it and where and when it might happen. What we do know is that harassers tend to lack a social conscience and engage in manipulative, immature, irresponsible and exploitative behaviours.”

Organisational climate is a strong predictor of workplace sexual harassment and can include situations where men outnumber women, where supervisors are predominantly male and where there is a sense among employees that complaints will not be taken seriously. Research has shown that hierarchical power dynamics are at the root of sexual harassment.

“Psychology can help, in the form of sexual harassment training, but it only works if it is part of a comprehensive, committed effort to combat the problem,” Puente said.

“Most research points to sanctions as the primary way that organisations can be less tolerant of harassment.

“Organisations need to be proactive in establishing policies prohibiting sexual harassment, raising employee awareness, establishing reporting procedures and educating employees about these policies. More research is needed to identify the antecedents to harassment that will help employees and managers identify and respond appropriately.”

Image credit: ©iStockphoto.com/DNY59