Prevention of Sexual Harassment(POSH)

SFC Edwin L. Jordan

Equal Opportunity Representative

Headquarters Detachment United States Army Criminal

Investigation Command

Overview

• DEFINITION AND KEY TERMS

• CATEGORIES OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT

• TYPES OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT

• TECHNIQUES OF DEALING WITH SEXUAL HARASSMENT

• IMPACT ON VICTIM

• IMPACT ON UNIT

• STRATEGIES

DEFINITION

Sexual Harassment is a form of gender discrimination that involves unwelcomed sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature.

Definition Con’t

1. Submission to, or rejection of, such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly as term or condition of a person’s job, pay, career, or

Definition Con’t

2. Such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work performance or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment.

Definition Con’t

3. Any person in a supervisory or command position who uses or condones implicit or explicit sexual behavior to control, influence, or affect the career, pay, or job of a soldier or civilian employee is engaging in sexual harassment.

Categories of Sexual Harassment

- Verbal

- Nonverbal

- Physical Contact

Sexual Harassment Categories Con’t

Verbal – examples can include telling jokes, using sexually explicit profanity, threats, sexually oriented Jody calls, sexual comments, whistling in a sexually suggestive manner.

Sexual Harassment Categories Con’t

Verbal – Verbal Sexual harassment may also include terms such as “honey”, “babe”, “sweetheart”, “dear”, etc.

Sexual Harassment Categories Con’t

Nonverbal – may include staring at someone (I.e. “undressing someone with one’s eyes”), blowing kisses, winking, or licking of one’s lips in a suggestive manner.

Sexual Harassment Categories Con’t

Nonverbal – may also include displaying sexually oriented pictures, cartoons, using sexually oriented screen savers.

Sexual Harassment Categories Con’t

Physical Contact – may include touching, patting, pinching, bumping, grabbing, cornering or blocking a passageway, kissing, providing unsolicited back or neck rubs.

TYPES OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT

1. Quid Pro Quo

2. Hostile Environment

TYPES OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT

Quid Pro Quo – Latin term meaning “this for that”. The term refers to conditions placed on a person’s career or terms of employment in return for sexual favors.

TYPES OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT

Hostile Environment – occurs when soldiers or civilians are subjected to offensive, unwanted and unsolicited comments or behaviors of a sexual nature. Classified as hostile if behavior unreasonably interferes with their performance.

TECHNIQUES

- Direct Approach

- Indirect Approach

- Third Party

- Chain of Command

- File a Formal Complaint

TECHNIQUES

- Direct Approach – Confront harasser and tell him/her that the behavior is not appreciated. Use common courtesy.

TECHNIQUES

-Indirect Approach – Send a letter to the harasser stating the facts, personal feelings about the inappropriate behavior and possible resolution.

TECHNIQUES

-Third Party – Request assistance from another person.

- Chain of Command – Report the behavior to immediate supervisor or others in chain of command.

- File a Formal Complaint – take action to formally file a complaint.

IMPACT ON VICTIM Psychological Effects –

- decrease self-esteem and self confidence

- Difficulties with trust

- Depression, Anxiety, Fear of rape

- Increased fear of crime in general

- Seemingly, “Contradictory” emotional responses to the harassment

IMPACT ON VICTIM Health-related Effects –

-Headaches, neck, and back pain

- Gastrointestinal disturbances

- Tiredness/fatigue

- Sleep Disturbances

- Weight Loss and appetite loss

- Dental related problems

IMPACT ON VICTIM Ways victim may handle or cope with

Sexual Harassment

- Detachment – minimize situation

- Denial - pretend it is not happening

- Relabeling – offers excuses for the harasser

- Avoidance – Quitting a job, frequent leave, appointments, etc.

IMPACT ON UNIT - Decreases Morale

- Decreases productivity

- Impacts the Organization

STRATEGIES - Proactive – Prevent before it happens.

- Training (Role play or short films)

- Post regulations and policies on Sexual Harassment

- Address/stop sexist behaviors that may create an atmosphere conducive to sexual harassment.

STRATEGIES - Reactive -

- Insure all actions/complaints are dealt with in a timely manner.

- Conduct appropriate follow-up actions

- Action is taken so that sexual harassment does not happen again.

SUMMARY -Definition and Key Terms

- Categories of Sexual Harassment

- Types of Sexual Harassment

- Techniques

- Impact on the Victim

- Impact on the Unit

- Strategies

QUESTIONS