Perceptions of the nature, reasons, consequences and coping experiences regarding sexual harassment among selected Filipino workers.

This descriptive research aimed to portray the perceptions of a selected group of working men and women from government and private offices/companies on: (a) the definition of sexual harassment (b) who the usual victims are (c) who the usual sexual harassers are (d) reasons and (e) consequences of sexual harassment. Further descriptions were made on the coping experiences and ways of preventing sexual harassment. Self-reported harassed workers participated in this study. Six hundred and fifteen (615) answered the survey questionnaire eleven (11) workers were personally interviewed and seven (7) cases filed and decided upon by the Civil Service Commission were content-analyzed. Data showed that: sexual harassment is any unwelcomed and uninvited sexual conduct which affects one\u27s work in any or both of two ways:(a) there are tangible employment repercussions and/or (b) creation of a hostile and offensive work environment. It takes a single or a combination of forms/indicators. Of the various forms, sexual jokes for verbal deliberate touching and deliberate pinching for physical and sexual pictures for visual form, respectively, were ranked as the most prevailing indicators of sexual harassment in the workplace. The usual victim is a single, young woman who has a low income in a permanent, manual job while the usual harasser is a Filipino married, older man who has a high income in a permanent, supervisory or managerial position, and who is known to have harassed more than one victim. Poverty, abuse of authority and cajouling were rated highest among the reasons explaining the incidence of work-related sexual harassment. This phenomenon leads to a psychological disability pattern, which also jeopardizes one\u27s work, and results to a breakdown of relationships among employees, and to a diminished trust in management\u27s credibility. It was concluded that sexual harassment in the workplace is unhealthy and should be prevented and eliminated. Mechanisms should be institutionalized to handle cases thereof. Lastly, a broad-based educational campaign and program must be regularly and consistently given to the public for consciousness-raising and active involvement in its prevention