Women in Higher Education Face Frequent Sexual Harassment According to Study

 Posted on August 10, 2018 in Workplace Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination protected against by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. Employers may not treat employees or potential employees differently than others just because of their gender. Unfortunately, sexual harassment at work does occur, and studies show women in higher education may be especially susceptible to it. Whether it is a supervisor suggesting that an employee may get a promotion if she performs sexual favors or a co-worker that makes nonstop inappropriate jokes, no one should have to put up with sexual harassment.

University and College Faculty Report Widespread Sexual Harassment Against Women

Researchers from the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine hope that their investigation into sexual harassment trends in academia will lead to methods of preventing sexual harassment completely. Using data from surveys and other studies, the researchers found that sexual harassment is shockingly common in higher education. In fact, almost 60 percent of female college faculty say that they have been victims of sexual harassment themselves.

Students Also Experience Sexual Harassment on Campus

Sadly, students have not been immune to the disturbingly-common sexual harassment in universities. One study out from the University of Texas reported that female students in the engineering, science, and medicine departments were the most likely to have experienced sexual harassment on campus. Roughly 20 percent of all female students pursuing a science major reported past experiences of sexual harassment at school. Even worse, over 40 percent of female engineering students say that they have been the victim of sexual harassment.

Advocates Are Ready for a Change

Ever since media tycoon Harvey Weinstein was accused of sexual harassment, sexual assault, and rape in 2017, there has been renewed interest in preventing violence against women. The #MeToo movement—along with many powerful men losing their careers over sexual harassment allegations—has also led to many universities and colleges modernizing their policies and procedures regarding sexual misconduct. Many advocates for women’s’ rights say that while they are happy universities are acknowledging the prevalence of sexual harassment on campus and working to prevent it,  their focus is wrong. Some worry that the majority of current university sexual harassment policies are too focused on compliance with the law. They instead ask that universities work towards creating concrete steps to stop sexual violence against women entirely.

Allegheny County Employment Discrimination and Sexual Harassment Attorneys

If you have experienced sexual harassment, contact an experienced Allegheny County sexual harassment attorney for help. Call 412-680-7877 to schedule your free, confidential consultation at Colianni & Leonard LLC today.

Sources:

https://www.cnn.com/2018/06/13/health/sexual-harassment-academia-report/index.html

http://time.com/5310625/sexual-harassment-academia-stem/