Going into the workplace and school everyday, I knew that sexual harassment was a problem in the everyday world but I didn’t realize how neglected the problem is. For sure, not all men engage in harassment. But the men who do self-select by seeking powerful positions in society. The same trait that makes men want power is the trait that makes men think its okay to use that power in a male/female dynamic. But here’s something that happens today, women who earn little money and have no career are more likely to feel they have nothing to lose if they report harassment.
Yes, they may not be able to afford to lose their paycheck, but it’s easier for them to replace the job they have with another job that pays the same amount. So they are dangerous to harass. Whereas women who have a big career have a lot to lose by reporting harassment, so they put up with it. In the time-period we live in now, many previously serious crimes are becoming and less and less important. Sexual harassment especially is becoming less important.
A sexual harassment offender hardly gets any penalty anymore. While to some, this scenario might just seem like a display of immaturity and maybe even sort of funny, it most certainly is not. The lack of punishment here gives the impression that this sexual harassment is okay. What some might not realize is that the belief that this is okay can lead to much worse things such as rape. Harassment and rape cannot be taken lightly, they are serious crimes and need to be treated as such.
