5 Steps To Take If You Experience Sexual Harassment
Whether you've experienced sexual harassment or not, you can always advocate for safer spaces against this violence towards all genders in the community.
22/12/2021
Sexual harassment has always been a serious topic for all genders in different communities. However, despite the discussions, policies, and reclaiming safe places for all genders against sexual harassment, individuals still experience this traumatic situation.
According to the
World Health Organization, one out of three
women worldwide has already experienced sexual
harassment in their lives. Furthermore, women,
men, and the queer community experience sexual
harassment resulting from a widespread
objectification of a person's body. It's not
easy to endure sexual harassment anywhere and
cope with the aftermath. If you've been in a
situation once, this article can offer you five
steps to take if you experience sexual
harassment.
1. Remember All The Details Regarding The Incident
Listing and remembering all the details regarding sexual harassment towards you can help hold your predator or sexual offender accountable. Store this list or record away from work so your abuser can’t get hold of it. While it may be painful to keep it in writing, doing so can help you get the justice you deserve.
After listing the scenarios, you can report them to the police. For instance, if sexual harassment has occurred on the job or in your workplace, you may also report it to your higher-ups so that they can immediately take action against their employees. This way, your employer can maintain safe spaces within your workplace and hand proper punishments.
2. Don't Ignore The Small Signs
Sexual harassment can occur to anyone anywhere. You can also experience this whenever you're at home with your partner, workplace, or public spaces. For example, a certain situation can lead to sexual harassment when your partner coerces you to do something for their sexual pleasure even if you don't want to do it or are not in the mood.
Furthermore, this can lead to an abusive relationship, and you can still report it is as sexual harassment even if it's your partner. Any activity – sexual or otherwise – your partner or anybody else wants to do with you should have your consent first. Consent is an important element of any relationship.
3. Exercise Your Basic Rights And File A Formal Complaint
You should always know your basic rights, particularly if you've encountered sexual harassment in your life. You know your rights like the right to complain, resist when someone sexually harasses you, and the right to sue someone because of causing emotional distress.
After knowing your rights and the case you can file against your sexual offender, you can seek help from the police or hire a lawyer who can give you legal advice and representation. The need to seek justice and accountability for yourself is necessary. Therefore, it's best to file a formal complaint to hold your harasser accountable and receive punishment.
4. Seek Professional Help
The aftermath of experiencing sexual harassment can lead to a traumatic response whenever someone is getting too close to you, even if they're your friends or someone you know. Sometimes, it can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which develops whenever someone experiences an awful experience like sexual harassment.
Furthermore, it's best to seek professional help from psychologists or psychiatrists to protect and take care of your mental health as you've been a victim of a horrifying and traumatic event. Having a mental health professional assist you after a harrowing experience can help you cope and move on healthily.
5. You Can Also Be Quiet For Some Time
Not all victims can immediately report their situation because some may have been shocked after the incident. You may have been still processing the traumatic event that you've experienced because different people react differently to such a situation. Additionally, there might also be instances that you'll realize that you've been sexually assaulted long after it occurred.
For example, you just chose to be silent after the incident. Understandably, your reaction may also be reactive because of the heaviness of the incident. If you don't want to report it to the police directly, you can ask for help from mental health professionals to promptly check your condition and help you heal from the experience.
Strongly Advocate For More Safe Spaces And Stop Sexual Harassment
Whether you've experienced sexual harassment or not, you can always advocate for safer spaces against this violence towards all genders in the community. No one should endure sexual harassment. No one should justify these acts because of the ingrained objectification culture for a long time.
Furthermore, it's also best to condemn these harassments towards anyone and dismantle the deeply-rooted system that has somewhat normalized sexual harassment towards others. The future should combat sexual harassment and violence against all genders in society. Sexual harassment is a serious concern, which can greatly affect your physical and mental well-being.