Sexual harassment is a crime that plagues academic institutions and workplaces. Although the problem is widespread, it seems that a lack of information (largely due to the fact that the issue has been ignored and incidents are under reported) helps account for the deficit in knowledge people have about this serious issue. The Supreme Court did not uphold a sexual harassment charge until 1986, in the case of Meritor Savings v. Vinson, where it ruled for the first time that

Many victims also experience a sense of self-doubt. He/She may question whether or not his/her success is due to ability or the fact that the employer is sexually attractive to him/her (Baur and Crooks, p. 602). This causes the victim to doubt his/her competencies. This is only the start of the work-related effects that the victim suffers. Frequent absenteeism, loss of interest in work, decline in quality and quantity of work, and even resignation are all common to the sexual harassment victim's work experiences (Bravo and Cassedy, p. 44).

Today, most workplaces have policies had programs as a proactive measure to combat sexual harassment. These policies benefit both the employees and the employers. They give the employee a clear message about what behaviors are not acceptable and what course of action to take if he/she experiences sexual harassment. On the other side, preventing sexual harassment in the workplace can save the company millions of dollars (Petrocelli and Repa, p. 3-4).

Individual employees can also take action against sexual harassment in their workplaces. If an employee experiences harassment, there are steps he/she can take to try and stop it. Victims should firmly express that the behavior is unwanted, document the harassment incidents, and keep documents of his/her work as proof of satisfactory performance (so the employer cannot allege that the victim was terminated on the basis of poor work performance). It is also important for the victim to seek support from family and friends, and seek out witnesses as well as other victims ("Sexual Harassment..." p. 1). Victims should take full advantage of their workplace policies before suing; this makes for a stronger argument when trying to prove one's case. Although there are many actions that the individual victim can take, it is sad to say that the majority of the time they ignore the problem and do not come forward because they fear the consequences (Colatosti and Karg, p. 6). They fear retaliation (i.e. fired, demoted) if the harasser is their employer and the invasion of privacy that will result when exposing such an issue.

work life or academic performance or creating and intimidating hostile, or

Another issue that the EEOC addresses in the circumstances where the employer is liable for sexual harassment. According to EEOC guidelines, the employer is held liable if the harassment occurred between co-workers and he/she knew or should have known about the harassment, unless the employer can show that he/she took immediate action to stop the harassment. More interesting, an employer can also be held responsible for sexual discrimination against other employees if they were denied a promotion or other opportunity because it was granted to someone based on the fact that the person complied with the employer's advances. The employer is liable even if the victim does not incur any financial burdens or is not fired because of the harassment (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission [EEOC], p. 1-2). These rules are all designed to hold the employer responsible for creating a non-discriminatory workplace.

The effects of sexual harassment are numerous and are felt by all parties involved in the harassment. The harasser, the employer, and the victim are all impacted. The harasser may face such consequences as loss of his/her job, reputation in the community, and problems with his/her family. However, there is little emotional damage experienced.

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Approximate Word count = 2925
Approximate Pages = 12 (250 words per page double spaced)