Psychological Impact of Harassment
PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT OF HARASSMENT
Learn the psychological impact of harassment is important because it can happen to anyone. Some common places are on the streets, in the workplace, public transport or even in your own home. The perpetrator can be anyone from a stranger, work colleague, family, partner or even a drunk friend. This can be in the forms of verbal, physical or even technology such as emails or text messages. Red flags for sexually harassment are as follows.
- Making sexual comments about your appearance
- Unwanted touches to your body or invading your personal space e.g., someone putting their arm around you.
- Harassing you to go out on a date and not taking no for an answer.
- Talking about sexual content in a way that makes you uncomfortable, or someone else’s sex life.
- Emailing sexual jokes or images
- Threatening someone for a sexual favour e.g., you will lose your job if you don’t do what I ask.
- Spreading rumors if you don’t comply sexually to a demand.
- Sexually suggestive look or leering at someone.
- Sending someone unwanted pictures by either email or text.
IMPACTS OF HARASSMENT
More than 50 % of women have experienced some sort of sexual harassment at some point in their life. Therefore, this can impact women both mentally, physically and can also make us feel unsafe in the workplace. This can cause many symptoms such as
- anxiety
- self-consciousness
- powerlessness
- change of perception
- physical reactions like headaches, panic attacks
- lack of trust
- depression
- workplace issues such as unfavourable performance evaluation, loss of job or promotion
STOP HARASSMENT
PHYSICALLY
- Strategic positioning (putting an object like a desk between you and them)
- Aim your mobile camera at them.
- When using public transport if standing use, the poles rather than the overhead bars. So, your front is protected as your hands are lower.
- Crossing your arms over your chest area, if you are feeling sexually threatened.
EMOTIONALLY ( psychological impact of harassment)
- Do not blame yourself.
- If someone asks or does something you are uncomfortable with, tell them in a clear, emphatic way to stop.
- Stand up for yourself.
- Seek counselling if you need to
WORKPLACE
- Report the harassment to your superiors.
- Document what is happening (what is said, dates, times etc.)
- Find a support system.
DEALING WITH STREET HARASSMENT
If you’re a woman from anywhere around the world, you have probably have been experienced sexual harassment at some point in your life. Regardless if you are on the street, at a club or at work it does not mean you need to put up with it. Dealing with harassment can be daunting, but by learning some helpful techniques you will start to feel more confident and better prepared.
Street harassment includes unwanted sexual comments, gestures towards your body , or invading someone personal space without their consent. (Psychological impact of harassment)
STREET HARASSMENT BEHAVIOURS
- Comments, requests, and demands
- Commenting on physical appearance, such as someone’s body or the clothing they’re wearing
- Continuing to talk to someone after they have asked to be left alone
- Flashing
- Following or stalking
- Harassing someone in order to get a date
- Touching someone without consent
- Intentionally invading personal space or blocking the way
- Persistent requests for someone’s name, phone number, or other information
- Name calling about sexuality or otherwise
- Leering at someone
- Taking a photo of someone without their consent
- Up-skirting, which is taking a photo up a skirt or dress without that person’s permission
- Whistling
WHY DOES STREET HARASSMENT HAPPEN
While the world we live in generally a safe place. Unfortunately this type of behaviour can happen regardless of gender, age, or even what you are wearing. No one has right to put up with any form of harassment. When a woman is walking down the street and a guy starts calling out sexual innuendos. This it is not a compliment and makes women feel uncomfortable. We all deserves to be treated with dignity and respect and to feel safe out in public.
WHAT ARE THE PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT OF HARASSMENT
Street harassment can have many negative effects and can make you worried about your physical safety and creates an environment of fear and intimidation.
One of the main problems is you will find It rarely only happens just once. Some people are subjected to this sort of behaviour on a daily basis. Causing the victim being harassed to feel a heightened sense of anxiety, or to be “on edge” at all times.
I strongly believe that the public need to have a greater understanding education of the impacts this has in your city. Women may end up scared to leave their home, work, or go to school. They may feel unsafe walking home, avoiding public transport.
WHAT SHOULD I DO IN THIS SITUATION
If you ever find yourself in this type of situation. There is not a one rule for every situation. You must make your own assessment and always make sure you keep yourself safe as your first priority. At times, no response is the best response. It will also need to be careful in case th3 situation escalates. Some people might not handle their advances been rejected. Trust your instincts on the best way to react in that exact moment, which keep you safe.
If you experience street harassment, remember that it is not your fault. There is no one right way to respond to someone who is harassing you. Because street harassment is about power and intimidation and there is often a reasonable fear of further violence it is essential to “trust your gut” in these situations. As I always situational awareness is the first step in self defence.
Though you are in no way responsible for the actions of those harassing you, it may be useful to learn about strategies that can help you feel more safe.
GO SOMEWHERE SAFE (physiological impact of harassment)
If you are being followed on the street or feel that your physical safety is in danger, going into a local business, store, coffee shop, or apartment building lobby where the harasser may be discouraged from following you, or where you can get help from a security guard.
REPORT IT
If the street harassment occurs outside of a business or on public transportation, you can report the behaviour. If you can guess the employer of the person harassing you, for instance if they are working on a construction site, you can report the harassment to the company. Some forms of street harassment, such as groping, flashing, and following, are legally recognised and you can report them to law enforcement.
DO WHAT MAKES YOU FEEL SAFE
The best thing to do if you are being harassed is whatever will make you feel most safe and comfortable. You are in no way obligated to respond to a harasser or to report them. Though responding to or reporting a harasser can be empowering, it can also be exhausting and potentially unsafe. Trust your judgement to do what feels right for you.
GET OFF THE STREET AND SEEK COVER
Have you found yourself in a situation where someone just will constantly evades your personal space and refuses to go away. In order to help keep you safe is seek refuge in a public space such as a cafe, shop or a local business. This may help deter the harasser to stop following you.
If you ever feel like you’re in danger. Speak to reception, call police or call a friend and have them meet you inside in order to feel safe.
SET CLEAR BOUNDARIES (physiological impact of harassment)
WHAT CAN WE DO TO END HARASSMENT
In order to end harassment of all kind. We must take a stand that this type behaviour is not acceptable at anytime. We need to educate the younger generations and there also need to be stronger punishment not only by law but also in the workplace.
SAFETY SHOULD BE YOUR PRIORITY
It is important to control your emotions especially if your harasser is been aggressive in nature. Your personal safety is the main priority when responding. If you feel you’re in an unsafe situation, without the support of those around, or alone with a potentially violent person, no response may be the best strategy – remove yourself from the situation as soon as possible. If you ever feel that responding will not jeopardise your safety, then it importance to hold your ground and stand up for your rights.
DO NOT AGGRAVATE YOUR HARASSER
When responding to a harasser, it’s important to be strong and firm, but don’t lose your temper. This type of reaction could make your harasser respond with anger or violence. Let them know their actions are unwelcome and unacceptable while still keeping in control of the situation.
DISTANCE YOURSELF FROM PERPETRATOR (psychological impact of harassment )
Harassers may not take you seriously and in this case they may try to engage you in further conversation. We do not want this to end being a verbal confrontation as this will not help your situation. By doing this it may cause them to escalate to become physical. abusive. Once you have stood your ground, you then need to remove yourself from the situation.
HAVE A BUDDY SYSTEM
Potential attacker would be less likely to harass you if you are with other people. This is handy in situations like late out night, clubbing, going to the bathroom or just out on the street. There is always safety in numbers.
TRAVELLING GUIDELINES
If you are travelling to another country, you should research what know what is acceptable within the culture you are traveling to. If it is scandalous within that culture to reveal your knees or shoulders, then you will be attracting a whole lot of unwanted attention if you do so. Should women be able to wear whatever they want? Sure. Will they be harassed if they wear clothing that draws unwanted attention within the culture they are in? It’s likely. Your vacation to another city or state is no time to push cultural boundaries. Sometimes even the police will be insensitive to your harassment claims if they judge you to be wearing something inappropriate. Even if you totally disagree with a society’s conservatism, you risk harassment if you do not play by its rules.
WHAT IF I SEE HARASSMENT HAPPENING
- When in doubt, assume you should help. If you are not sure whether a situation is harassment or not, assume that it is and ask the person being harassed if they need help. You can say something like “Are you OK?” or “Are they bothering you?”
- Step in. If you can, by call out the harasser on what they just did and why it was not acceptable. You can say something like, “You just touched that women when she didn’t want you to. That’s not OK. Stop harassing people.”
- Check in with the person being harassed. If you see harassment occur, consider asking the person who was harassed if they are OK and if they need any help.
- Report. You can report that you witnessed harassment to public transportation officials, law enforcement, or the harasser’s employer.
MORE HELPFUL TIPS (psychological impact of harassment)
- Never blame the victim. If someone tells you about street harassment they have experienced, the best thing you can do is to listen without judgement and tell them that they did not deserve what happened. You should never reduce their experiences by saying things like “this happened to you because you’re so beautiful,” or “maybe you shouldn’t have worn that dress today.”
- Share your experiences. If you feel comfortable doing so, talk with people in your life about street harassment when it occurs. This can not only let others know that they are not alone in these experiences, but can help to raise awareness of the frequency of street harassment and its harmful effects among those who haven’t experienced it.
- Call out your friends. If you witness your friend harassing someone on the street by cat-calling them, whistling, making a sexual comment, repeatedly asking for their information, etc., tell your friend to stop. Take time to explain to them why what they did was harassment and that it is wrong.
FINAL THOUGHTS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT OF HARASSMENT
Psychological impact of harassment is important because even though a lot more has been done to address this issue, especially in the workplace. I feel as though the corporate world and the government need to be working closer together to address these issues. Including bringing women from these environments, to give their valuable input on what they feel needs to be done, in order for women to feel safer. Because let’s face it, no matter if we are on the street or in the workplace. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH
