Sexual harassment can be something that not everyone understands completely. Not understanding sexual harassment and what it includes, how it effects people and the potential consequences can be very, very dangerous. Sexual harassment can cause personal despair and confusion for victims. Educating people on sexual harassment and the negativities surrounding it is so important as it could deter people from committing sexually harassing acts as well as perhaps allowing people to see the signs of harassment before it is too late.
The video attached to this post is taken from an episode of South Park where Petey, the Sexual Harassment Panda uses song to try to educate the children about the effects and details of sexual harassment. Though this is a satirical take on the issue and probably a very ineffective approach, it still demonstrates the importance of education about topics such as this.
In the workplace it is more and more common these days for employers to enrol their employees in sexual harassment workshops or classes. These workshops can help educate individuals and provide them with the tools to help people in bad situations. Workshops and education can also prevent instances from happening further. Some people do not understand the consequences or the effects that sexual harassment can have on people.
Education on this subject can simply be providing people with the resources to explore the issue and find out more about it. Resources include phone numbers to hotlines, directions to websites or referrals to tangible support groups that one can attend. Knowing the legal implications of sexual harassment can be the determining factor on whether certain people commit harassment crimes or whether victims attain the help that they need.
Education in the workplace and in schools is just as important as having resources readily available to communities. These resources can help victims and potentially prevent some sexual harassment from happening. By understanding sexual harassment it is hopeful that there will be less cases of it.