Sexual Harassment Awareness Month

Harassment.

A word that does not have a lick of happiness anywhere in its definition, especially when you plaster the word ‘sexual' in front of it.

To some, it is just another word, but to others, it is a life altering event that has changed them so drastically, that they never find the end of its misery.

I know, because my own memories check in all too often.

Some women consider themselves a number, a tally mark on the board of every fighting task force we call our local police department while others look at it as a way to sue major corporations for every dollar they can get out of their employer.

Either way, sexual harassment is wrong, no matter how, or why, it has happened.

I am not writing this column as a way to vent or blab about how people use it to their advantage to make a quick lump-some of money. I am writing this for the men and women out there who know how awful it is to be in this situation.

I am writing this because April is Sexual Harassment Awareness Month and I believe everyone should be informed about this topic.

A whole month is dedicated to this issue because it happens too often and most of the time it is blown off by fellow workers and managers as well as loved ones and close friends.

There are many people who are sexually harassed and do not even realize that it is happening to them.

According to www.sexualharassmentsupport.org, out of 782 U.S. workers, 31 percent of the female workers reported they had been sexual harassed at work. Out of this 31 percent, only five to 15 percent formally reported the problem to her employer or an employment agency.

Some women are reluctant to seek help for fear of losing a job or hurting a career. Women might be afraid to be met with disbelief or even afraid of retaliation by the harasser.

Do not have worries!

I would rather take the chance of losing my job or not being believed any day of the week rather than knowing that my harasser had gotten away with tormenting me. It will make you will confident that you are standing up for yourself and putting your foot down.

In the same survey provided by www.sexualharassmentsupport.org, seven percent of male workers reported being sexually harassed.

That statistic shows that sexual harassment can happen to anyone, anywhere.

During this month, I urge you to step away from the shadows and share your experience with others, because staying silent only protects your harasser.

I urge you to help others cope with his or her problems, perhaps even volunteering at a clinic.

Please spread the word.

Be there for yourself, and others will follow.

For more information on what to do if you are sexually harassed and how to make a formal complaint, visit www.sexualharassmentsupport.org.