What I Learned About Sexual Harassment

I was given the task of going through an online sexual harassment workshop in preparation for my job this summer. Some of the pictures in the workshop were priceless, and provided some valuable insight into what might happen in a sexually charged workplace. I downloaded a few, in the hopes of sharing with you what I have learned.



I concluded from this photo that sexual harassment can happen to anyone, anywhere, at any time. I get the feeling from the look on this man's face that sexual harassment is often an ambush of the senses, pushing otherwise platonic interactions far beyond their limits, evoking our more bestial instincts. At least, that's what the picture implies.



Sexual harassment, much like Adam Sandler's butler in Mr. Deeds, is sneaky. Very sneaky. So sneaky, in fact, that sometimes it is unclear who's giving the sexual harassment to whom. Is it the V-neck sweater guy, or the leaning woman? Perhaps it is the stripe-shirted fellow who the woman is leaning over. Maybe the yellow pad of paper is somehow involved in the mix. Yes, sexual harassment is just that sneaky.



I once worked with an older gentleman like the man on the left. His potbelly would sometimes inadvertently rub against me. Much like the young man on the right, I felt ashamed and embarrassed to say anything.



Those who you would least expect can be sexual harassment's vilest perpetrators. It is clear from this photo that the steaminess that erupts from sexual harassment can tarnish a workplace to its very core.



The message here is clear: Sexual harassment knows no limits. Don't let your guard down. Ever.

3