Sexual Assault and Harassment in Medical Workspaces

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month and with that comes conversation about past and present cases related to sexual assault and harassment in a medical workplace. 

There are often cases about healthcare workers being victims of sexual violence and harassment in both smaller and more substantial medical institutions.

Harassment includes:

  • Unwanted sexual attention
  • The spread of sexual rumors about an employee
  • Often repeated unwanted touching
  • Unwanted sexually-driven compliments

Assault includes:

  • Physical contact without consent
  • The use of force, threats, intimidation, and/or the abuse of authority

Cases of sexual assault and harassment are entirely up to the leadership roles of an organization. The higher-ups of an institution are responsible for making the workspace into a safe environment for employees. Safe work environments are often threatened and subject to sexual harassment and assault cases because of:

  • Lack of communication
  • Dismissive behavior towards cases
  • Having less women in leadership roles

Eliminating these issues from the workplace requires education and commitment to the matter at hand. Visit this site for more information about eliminating sexual assault and harassment in the workplace: http://hrlibrary.umn.edu/svaw/harassment/explore/5prevention.htm