Changing Lenses: Preventing Sexual Harassment Needs Stopping Attitudes of Blame
Often in discussions about sexual harassment, the victim's characteristics are analyzed at the beginning of the discussion. Like, "Why was she dressed like that?" or "What was he doing there?" Indicates that the victim's choice or circumstances somehow invited the abuse. More worrying are comments that suggest the victim is victimized because he is "soft", "weak" or "approachable". This tendency to analyze the victim perpetuates harmful stereotypes and distracts from the core issue of the perpetrator's actions and mindset.
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| A safe world for all |
What is sexual harassment?
Sexual harassment is a form of unwanted sexual behavior. It can happen to anyone regardless of gender, sexuality, race or any other factor. Sexual harassment can be physical, verbal or non-verbal.
For example,
- Unwelcome sexually determined behavior (direct or implied),
- Touch or try;
- Attempt or effort to establish a sexual relationship with someone using an institutional or professional power;
- sexually colored verbal representation;
- Demand or request for sexual favors;
- Teasing by indecent gestures, language or comments or approaching or following a person inadvertently for indecent purposes, teasing or mocking by using sexually suggestive language;
- Writing anything sexually suggestive in letters, telephones, SMS; capture still or video images for the purpose of backmail or impersonation;
- Threatening or pressuring rejected love offers;
- Establishing or attempting to establish sexual relations by intimidation or false hope or deception etc.
The problem of victim blaming
The tendency to blame the victim stems from society's deep-rooted attitudes and biases. Society implicitly discounts the perpetrator's actions by focusing on the victim's behavior, appearance, or circumstances. This trend causes great injustice to the victims, because it:
Shaming the victim: Victims often feel that they are responsible for the abuse, which leads to trauma and reluctance to seek justice.
Avoids responsibility: shifting the focus to the victim and their responsibility for the perpetrator's actions
Perpetuates harmful mindsets: It perpetuates a culture in which sexual harassment is normalized or trivialized, making systemic change more difficult.
Change the perspective of the discussion
If we are truly serious about creating a world free of sexual harassment, we need to stop blaming the victims and analyze the behavior, motives and social enablers of the perpetrators. Some important steps to achieve this are:
Perpetrator Psychoanalysis: It is important to understand why perpetrators commit sexually harassing acts. Does this behavior stem from lust for power, abuse of power, entitlement, or lack of empathy? By understanding these issues we can plan more effective interventions.
Challenge cultural norms: Social attitudes that glorify authority, objectify individuals, or trivialize sexual violence must be combated. Education and awareness programs can play an important role in reshaping these norms.
Strengthening accountability systems: Offenders often exploit loopholes in legal and social systems to avoid punishment. Strengthening laws, ensuring effective enforcement and ensuring speedy justice can act as powerful deterrents.
Support victims: Providing mental health care, legal support and platforms for victims to have their voices recognized is crucial.
Change description
To build a world free of sexual harassment, we must fight against narratives that do harm. When we ask why the victim "let it happen" or why they "put themselves in that position," we establish the perpetrators as having no control over their actions. Instead we should ask:
- What social factors enable criminals to commit crimes without fear of consequences?
- How can we teach empathy, respect and acceptance from a young age?
- What mechanisms need to be in place to hold criminals accountable?
The first step towards a world free of sexual harassment is to change attitudes. By holding criminals accountable, challenging social norms and supporting victims.
Let us no longer question why the victim is so calm, how he could have acted differently; Rather, ask how we as a society can do better.
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