Sexual Harassment Support
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Support and information for anyone who has experienced sexual harassment.
Sexualized Environments
Sexualized
Environments
Sexualized environments are environments where obscenities, sexual joking, sexually explicit graffiti,
downloading and circulating Internet porn, sexually degrading posters and objects, etc., are common.
None of these behaviors or objects may necessarily be directed at anyone in particular. However, they
can create an offensive environment, and one that is consistent with “hostile environment” sexual
harassment. A number of cases have set precedents for sexualized environments as hostile work
environments:
Moonsar v Fiveways Express Transport Ltd (United Kingdom, 2005)
Moonsar worked in an office where her male coworkers were downloading, and circulating,
Internet pornography. . The images weren't circulated to the plaintiff, but the activity was in close
proximity, so they were visible to her. The tribunal held that, “viewed objectively, this behavior
clearly had the potential effect of causing an affront to a female employee working in a close
environment, and as such would be regarded as degrading or offensive to an employee as a
woman”.
Morse v Future Reality Ltd (United Kingdom, 1996)
Morse shared an office with a number of men who down loaded sexually explicit/obscene
images from the Internet, which they shared and discussed. According to Morse, her coworkers
also regularly used “bad language,” and created what the plaintiff deemed a “general
atmosphere of obscenity.” Although these activities were not usually directed at her, they did
cause her to feel uncomfortable. She complained to her supervisors, but after no action was
taken to resolve the problem, she resigned. The tribunal held that all the above factors had a
detrimental impact on her such as to constitute sexual harassment and that the company was
liable because no one had taken action after she complained.
Bethel School District v. Fraser (United States, 1986)
(This is not so much an illustration of a sexualized environment, however, the case created a
precedent allowing federally funded schools the power to discourage them.)
At a school assembly of approximately 600 high school students, Matthew Fraser made a
speech nominating a fellow student for elective office. In his speech, Fraser used what some
observers believed was a graphic sexual metaphor to promote the candidacy of his friend. As
part of its disciplinary code, Bethel High School enforced a rule prohibiting conduct which
"substantially interferes with the educational process . . . including the use of obscene, profane
language or gestures." Fraser was suspended from school for two days. The Court found that it
was appropriate for the school to prohibit the use of vulgar and offensive language since such
discourse was inconsistent with the "fundamental values of public school education."
Sexualized environments have been shown to create atmospheres that encourage more serious and
direct sexual harassment. For example, when obscenities are common in the workplace, women are 3
times more likely to be treated as sex objects, and be directly sexually harassed than in environments
where profanity is not tolerated. And when sexual joking is common, sexual harassment is 3 to 7 times
more likely.
Raver et al. have referred to sexualized environments as those encouraging “sexual hostility” which
causes conflicts that effect productivity in the workplace. Sexual hostility involves such behaviors as
repeatedly telling offensive sexual jokes or making offensive sexual remarks or gestures. This has
been linked to increased conflict in work teams as well as with less team cohesion and less success in
meeting financial goals. As Raver et al. write, “Sexual hostility may be particularly damaging for team
processes, because the acts are both clearly hostile and overtly sexual. Thus, team members cannot
simply attribute the to misguided attempt to establish a romantic relationship.”
Types of Harassers =>
Sources: 47, 68