Sexual harassment is a manifestation of sexual violence and, although it can occur in any type of social relationship, it is usually more frequent when a power relationship is exercised, such as in the case of harassmenta type of abuse that generally happens in work environments and under a subordinate relationship.
What are sexual jokes and harassment about?
sexual jokes
Sexual jokes tend to occur quite frequently and in many cases people choose to normalize them to avoid any kind of conflict and even to keep their job, since the work environment is one of the spaces in which they occur the most.
Many times, when there is a majority of men, for example, who celebrate this type of jokes, it can happen that when a woman tries to set limits, her colleagues call her exaggerated and for this reason, she prefers to endure in silence.
Although some jokes may seem naive and harmless, it is important to keep in mind that These jokes are loaded with covert or symbolic violence. Some of these common abusive behaviors are:
- Making jokes of a sexual nature that make other people uncomfortable.
- Making comments about other people’s physical appearance or sexual orientation.
- Have behaviors that generate stereotypes or prejudices.
- Make aggressive jokes that denigrate other people.
Getting into discussions about jokes that seek to denigrate other people and show little empathy does not help much. Faced with this type of jokes, the most important thing is ask the person to withdraw their comment or rephrase it.
Harassment
Through harassment, it constitutes a form of sexual harassment through which a person takes advantage of the power it exercises over another to engage in various behaviors that generate feelings of discomfort and shame. Among the most frequent behaviors that are part of this are:
- Seek unnecessary and unwanted physical contact.
- Making annoying remarks, jokes, and innuendos.
- Casting lascivious glances and making gestures of a sexual nature.
- Request sexual favors.
- Spread sexual rumors about the victim.
- Sharing sexual images and messages without consent.
- Referring to someone using terms like “gay” or “lesbian.”
- Spying on someone while they are changing or in the bathroom.
- Display pornographic material.
Yes ok Any person is vulnerable to suffering from these abusive behaviors.women are usually more vulnerable to suffering from them and are not only motivated by the interest in achieving sexual contact, they may also seek to denigrate the person, either to impose the power they have or to stop the progress of someone who reaches consider a competition for power.
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Consequences of harassment on its victims
All types of sexual abuse or violence generate serious consequences in those who suffer them. When it comes to harassment, the main consequences are the following:
- Feelings of humiliation, loss of motivation and low self-esteem.
- Isolation and deterioration of social relationships.
- Physical and mental illnesses derived from stress.
- Deterioration of working conditions and increased risk of losing one’s job.
As you see, all types of abuse, no matter how subtle it may seem or even though it is normalized, leave deep wounds that If they are not processed appropriately, they can destroy the life of those who suffered sexual violence.
In it # Movement We create a safe and trusting space for survivors of sexual abuse or any other expression such as They can break the silence and begin their healing process. and the prevention tools that we make available to the community in general and