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Effects of sexual harassment can vary depending on the individual, and the severity and duration of the harassment. Often, sexual harassment incidents fall into the category of the "merely annoying." However, many situations can, and do, have life-altering effects particularly when they involve severe/chronic abuses, and/or retaliation against a victim who does not submit to the harassment, or who complains about it openly.
Indeed, psychologists and social workers report that severe/chronic sexual harassment can have the same psychological effects as rape or sexual assault. (Koss, 1987) For example, in 1995, Judith Coflin committed suicide after chronic sexual harassment by her bosses and coworkers. (Her family was later awarded 6 million dollars in punitive and compensatory damages.) Backlash and victim-blaming can further aggravate the effects.
Moreover, every year, sexual harassment costs hundreds of millions of dollars in lost educational and professional opportunities, mostly for girls and women. (Boland, 2002) Common effects on the victims Common professional, academic, financial, and social effects of sexual harassment:
Decreased work or school performance; increased absenteeism
Loss of job or career, loss of income
Having to drop courses, change academic plans, or leave school (loss of tuition)
Having one's personal life offered up for public scrutiny—the victim becomes the "accused," and his or her dress, lifestyle, and private life will often come under attack.
Being objectified and humiliated by scrutiny and gossip
Becoming publicly sexualized (i.e. groups of people "evaluate" the victim to establish if he or she is "worth" the sexual attention or the risk to the harasser's career)
Defamation of character and reputation
Loss of trust in environments similar to where the harassment occurred
Loss of trust in the types of people that occupy similar positions as the harasser or his or her colleagues
Extreme stress upon relationships with significant others, sometimes resulting in divorce; extreme stress on peer relationships, or relationships with colleagues
Weakening of support network, or being ostracized from professional or academic circles (friends, colleagues, or family may distance themselves from the victim, or shun him or her altogether)
Having to relocate to another city, another job, or another school
Loss of references/recommendations
Some of the psychological and health effects that can occur in someone who has been sexually harassed: depression, anxiety and/or panic attacks, sleeplessness and/or nightmares, shame and guilt, difficulty concentrating, headaches, fatigue or loss of motivation, stomach problems, eating disorders (weight loss or gain), alcoholism, feeling betrayed and/or violated, feeling angry or violent towards the perpetrator, feeling powerless or out of control, increased blood pressure, loss of confidence and self esteem, withdrawal and isolation, overall loss of trust in people, traumatic stress, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), complex post-traumatic stress disorder, suicidal thoughts or attempts, suicide.
Effects of sexual harassment on organizations
Decreased productivity and increased team conflict
Decrease in success at meeting financial goals (because of team conflict)
Decreased job satisfaction
Loss of staff and expertise from resignations to avoid harassment or resignations/firings of alleged harassers; loss of students who leave school to avoid harassment
Decreased productivity and/or increased absenteeism by staff or students experiencing harassment
Increased health care costs and sick pay costs because of the health consequences of harassment
The knowledge that harassment is permitted can undermine ethical standards and discipline in the organization in general, as staff and/or students lose respect for, and trust in, their seniors who indulge in, or turn a blind eye to, sexual harassment
If the problem is ignored, a company's or school's image can suffer
Legal costs if the problem is ignored and complainants take the issue to court.(Boland 1990)
The Costs of Sexual Harassment
Workplace sexual harassment can cause a variety of problems, not only for the individual involved, but for the entire workforce and the company as a whole.
Severe emotional distress for those harassed
Strained work relationships, loss of team unity
Increased likelihood of employee turnover
Tarnish the reputation of the company
Expenses and time required to address legal issues
Fines or settlement expenses following litigation
Implication of costs due to sexual harassment
$52.3 millions in penalties collected by The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for sexual harassment violations in the 2011 financial year.
11,364 number of sexual harassment claims were received by The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and its partners in 2011 financial year.
$4,602 was the average cost for sexual harassment claim the 2011 financial year.
1 number of sexual harassment incidents it takes to negatively impact your workplace
Notable Sexual Harassment Penalties
In fiscal year 2010, sexual harassment charges filed with EEOC (The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) and state and local Fair Employment Practices agencies resulted in $48 4 million in penalties That increased to a whopping $52 3 million in penalties for fiscal year 2011.
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