SEXUAL HARASSMENT

Sexual Harassment

Sexual Harassment

Literature Review

In this paper, I have to discuss the opinions women have about the women who pressed charges of sexual and/or physical abuse by famous men (i.e. Politicians, athletes, celebrities, public administrator. The women who make false claims or charges of sexual assault on famous men are rather doing it for publicity, or for money. There are more chances that they pressed charges against famous men or celebrities for taking money from them by creating damage to their reputation in the society (Linz, 2003). To understand the issue, we have to identify what is sexual assault and what are the consequences of it in terms of claims and punishments.

In the United States, data on violence against women are collected according to four primary types: physical abuse, sexual violence, psychological or emotional abuse, and stalking. Physical abuse is described as acts of physical aggression. These acts range from behaviors such as slapping to severe acts that include perpetrating an assault with a deadly weapon such as a gun or knife. Approximately 20-25 percent of adult women in the United States have been physically abused by a male intimate partner in their lifetime. Among women in childbearing or reproductive years, this rate increases to 32 percent (Krolokke, 2008). Fractures, bruises, and bullet holes are not the only physical manifestation of abuse; physical health problems such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are also related to violence against women.

Acts of sexual violence, including rape, are persistent problems in today's world. Sexual violence is defined as sexual acts perpetrated against someone's will. These acts may be a result of force, threats of force, or other acts of coercion, and may be perpetrated by an individual known or unknown to the victim. Approximately 7.7 percent of women report being raped by an intimate partner throughout their life. Marital rape is also a widespread problem, and was previously not recognized as a crime or therefore prosecuted through the justice system. It was not until 1986 that the Federal Sexual Abuse Act criminalized marital rape throughout the United States. Sexual violence is particularly difficult to accurately measure, and is further complicated by significant rates of underreporting of sexual violence (Henderson, 2006).

Psychological abuse, also known as emotional violence, refers to behaviors in relationships that undermines or manipulates a person's self-esteem, sense of control, or safety. The United States Department of Justice defines psychological/emotional violence as actions causing fear by intimidation; threatening physical harm to self, partner, children, or partner's loved ones or pets; destruction of property; or forcing isolation from family, friends, school, or work. Consistently defining and measuring psychological abuse remains a challenge in violence against women research (Raquel, 2000). Some reports indicate that psychological abuse is so pervasive that it has become a common component of intimate relationships. Among college-aged women, who are considered to be in their reproductive years, psychological/emotional violence is more common than physical or sexual abuse, as 77 percent to 87 percent reported psychological abuse during the previous ...