University Sociology Report: Sexual Harassment Redressal Mechanisms

This sociology report investigates sexual harassment in the workplace, focusing on the role of organizations in establishing mechanisms to redress such cases, particularly for women. The report begins by defining sexual harassment, referencing the Equal Opportunity Act 2010 and highlighting its unwelcome and unlawful nature. It provides background information on the prevalence of sexual harassment, citing reports from the Australian Human Rights Commission and emphasizing its impact on employees, especially women. The research question explores the role of organizations in determining these redressal mechanisms. The report presents a hypothesis that organizations play an important role in this process. The report references key academic sources to support its arguments, providing a comprehensive overview of the issue and its complexities.

Running head: SOCIOLOGY
SOCIOLOGY
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author note:

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Introduction
Sexual harassment is against the law as stated under the Equal Opportunity Act 2010
(McDonald, Charlesworth & Graham, 2015). Sexual harassment refers to unwelcome sexual
behavioural patterns which could be predictable to make an individual feel insulted, disgraced or
demoralized and further can be physical, verbal or written. Moreover, sexual harassment is not
regarded as consensual communication, flirtation or companionship. Acts of sexual harassment
is considered as a conductor behavioural approach which is mutually agreed upon. McDonald
and Charlesworth (2016) have noted that despite being proscribed for more than 25 years, sexual
harassment remains a critical area of concern in Australia.
Background
Reports of the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) on sexual harassment in
Australian workplaces have demonstrated that sexual harassment has been remaining as a
significant area of concern for both employees and employers. Such a concern is predominantly
evident when the increasing rate of women has been reported to be facing workplace sexual
harassment and thus becoming more prevalent. According to McDonald, Charlesworth and
Graham (2015), in majority of industrialized nations, workplace sexual harassment is lawfully
prohibited in anti-discrimination laws which in general determine a method whereby individual
employees has the authority to register a formal grievance and further seek acknowledgement or
redress for the acts of sexual harassment at workplaces through a conciliation procedure. Acts of
sexual harassment at workplaces can be perpetuated against women as well as men. However,
the significant number of cases of sexual harassment in the workplace have been perpetuated by
men in opposition to women as women often do not attain equal status as men with a significant

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lack power and influence and thus tend to be in more vulnerable and insecure positions. Henry
and Powell (2015) have noted that organizational perspectives on sexual harassment have
explained the perseverance of diverse manifestations of workplace sexual harassment.
Furthermore, North (2016) has suggested that workplace sexual harassment has significantly
recognized to two situational characteristics related to organizational context that is the degree to
which organizational environment accepts or overlook acts of sexual harassment as well as job
gender context that primarily refers to the gendered temperament of the individual’s work
grouping. Furthermore, Henry and Powell (2015) have noted that when sexual harassment
occurs, there tends to be enduring unconstructive and traumatic impact on individuals which
involves psychological distress, physical pain in addition to professional losses. Furthermore,
research conducted by McDonald and Charlesworth (2016) has noted that several organizations
tend to disregard the need of effective mechanisms for dealing with cases of sexual harassment.
However, in the absence of any effective mechanism to equalize cases of sexual harassment of
women at workplaces, distress and anguish of female employers from sexual harassment tend to
be at a loss for being unable to seek any effectual resolution for their encountered harassment.
Moreover, lack of effective mechanisms for women’s protection typically indicates that the
organizations show incompetence in recognizing or prioritizing these issues which critically
leads to implicit disregard of such discrimination, harassment and violence.
Research Question: What is the role of organizations in determining the mechanisms to redress
sexual harassment of women at workplaces?
H1- Organizations play an important role in determining the mechanisms to redress sexual
harassment of women at workplaces.

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H0- Organizations do not play an important role in determining the mechanisms to redress cases
of sexual harassment of women at workplaces.

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References
Henry, N., & Powell, A. (2015). Beyond the ‘sext’: Technology-facilitated sexual violence and
harassment against adult women. Australian & New Zealand Journal of
Criminology, 48(1), 104-118.
McDonald, P., & Charlesworth, S. (2016). Workplace sexual harassment at the margins. Work,
employment and society, 30(1), 118-134.
McDonald, P., Charlesworth, S., & Graham, T. (2015). Developing a framework of effective
prevention and response strategies in workplace sexual harassment. Asia Pacific Journal
of Human Resources, 53(1), 41-58.
North, L. (2016). Damaging and daunting: female journalists’ experiences of sexual harassment
in the newsroom. Feminist media studies, 16(3), 495-510.