Workplace Violence in Health: Harassing Women Worldwide - Essay Sample

Introduction

Workplace violence in health is one of the most common and disturbing problem worldwide, particularly sexual related abuse towards women. There have been multiple incidences where women have reported being exposed to social misconduct while performing their duties. Sexual harassment involves three major aspects: sexual coercion, gender irritation, and unwanted sexual attention (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine 25). This form of harassment has adverse effects on the psychological wellbeing of the victim, and in turn, impends their job satisfaction and overall performance (Hassankhani et al. 21). Therefore, it is paramount to focus on the ethical principles and rules linked to it and the available alternatives towards solving the issue.

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Ethical Principles and Rules on Sexual Harassment

According to the code of ethics on sexual harassment, this behavior is unprofessional, unethical, and poses a threat to academic freedom. It states that sexual harassment refers to an unsolicited, unwelcome, and unreciprocated request for sexual favor, advances, and other sexual behaviors aimed at intimidating or offending another individual (Ross et al.). As such, it includes behaviors such as making sexist remarks, sexual assaults, and sexual advances linked to favor or threat (Hassankhani et al. 22). This code warns against condoning or disregarding complaints of sexual harassment to avoid propagating a culture of sexual harassment, which would, in turn, erode the atmosphere of trust in the organization.

The code of ethics also takes to account the three forms of sexual harassment. These include the quid pro quo, where the assignments that one is assigned depend on their submission to romantic requests (Ross et al.). It could also be a hostile work environment where victims receive unwelcome visual, verbal, or physical sexual conduct that is pervasive hence creating an intimidating or offensive work environment (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine 93). Lastly, it could be retaliation, where employers take action, including firing and denial of extra working hours, against employees who make complaints of sexual harassment.

Sexual harassment goes against several ethical principles. It tarnishes integrity as the behavior is not per moral principles nor intellectual honesty and fairness (Matt 12). Further, it is counter to impartiality as perpetrators of this behavior act per their selfish interests and tends to favor victims who oblige to their demands. Harassment is also contrary to respect, as it entails disrespecting the dignity, diversity, privacy (Matt 10), and the worth of some of the colleagues in a healthcare facility. Lastly, it is in contradiction of independence as it involves unwelcome verbal and physical sexual behaviors; hence it curtails the freedom of the victim.

Alternatives for Solving Sexual Harassment

There are several alternatives suggested for resolving this behavior. One of the recommended ways is reporting harassment to the relevant leaders (Strauss). Making them aware of the issue is critical to initiate the necessary investigations and disciplinary actions against them. It calls for immediate reporting of such cases to the department heads, naming the action, the person, and witnesses. The leadership then investigates adhering to the policies and procedures set by the organization. Such an approach to making resolutions may be ineffective when the leaders are the perpetrators of the behavior. It would be obstructive to report an incident to the individual who committed the act, and they may impede the investigation process. Organizations should instead have a separate and independent office that deals with such cases to ensure victims feel comfortable reporting and promote fairness.

Another approach is arranging training and workshops to educate employees on the boundaries to follow when working in an organization. Such forums should stress on the various forms of sexual harassment and the disciplinary measures that will be taken against those who violate them. Conversely, women should receive special training on how to deal with instances when they are exposed to such a form of harassment (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine 160). The workshops should emphasize the need for immediate reporting after an incident. This approach is highly effective as everyone is made aware of the boundaries they should not cross and warns them of the repercussions they face. Besides, it empowers women, and they are likely to be more willing to report such instances of abuse. Subsequently, cases of sexual harassment are likely to decline.

Further, there should be stringent measures on the disciplinary actions to be taken against people who are found liable for sexual harassment. An organization ought to have well laid down rules on the consequence of each violation (Strauss). For instance, perpetrators of these offenses may be at risk of losing their jobs or getting suspended for a specific period (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine 111). As such, all employees will be well aware of the repercussions they face should they engage in such behaviors and are thus likely to shun away from them. However, this approach may have minimal long term effects. Laying off or suspending such staff may do little towards transforming the ethical climate of the organization (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine 124). As such, it would be more suitable to adopt measures that would change the organizational culture to prevent such incidences.

Conclusion

All in all, sexual harassment is a significant concern in different workplaces. These behaviors have adverse effects on the performance of employees and could lead to loss of morale and satisfaction in the job. Therefore, firms should implement effective measures to prevent such behaviors and thus promote the wellbeing of their employees. Nonetheless, while devising means to prevent this behavior, it is paramount to select them carefully to ensure they will achieve their goals and promote a healthy culture in the healthcare facility.

Works Cited

Hassankhani, H., et al. "The consequences of violence against nurses working in the emergency department: A qualitative study." International emergency nursing 39 (2018): 20-25.

Matt, Susan B. "Ethical and legal issues associated with bullying in the nursing profession." Journal of Nursing Law 15.1 (2012): 9-13.

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Sexual harassment of women: climate, culture, and consequences in academic sciences, engineering, and medicine. National Academies Press, 2018.

Ross, Seun, et al. "Sexual harassment in nursing: ethical considerations and recommendations." OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing 24.1 (2019).

Strauss, S. "Overview and summary: sexual harassment in healthcare." OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing 24.1 (2019).