Sexual harassment can cause psychological, financial, and physical effects, including anxiety, insomnia, and sexual dysfunction. Victims may also experience career setbacks and lose connections in their field. Support from colleagues and loved ones can mitigate the severity of the effects. Many victims do not report abuse, and recovery can involve seeking help from support groups, counselors, or therapists.
The effects of sexual harassment are often similar to those experienced by victims of other types of sexual assaults. Sexual harassment is any type of unwanted sexual advances or sexual behavior by one person towards another. Victims of sexual harassment can suffer psychological, financial and physical effects.
The intensity of the abuse and the duration of the abuse are often factors influencing how the victim feels. The support the victim receives from superiors and co-workers, family and friends may play a role in the severity of the effects of the abuse. A victim who finds that the people around her are supportive may not experience the devastating effects experienced by a victim who retaliates.
Many victims of sexual harassment find that their job performance suffers. Additionally, the effects of sexual harassment can harm the victim’s career if the harassment took place in the workplace. Victims may lose more work to avoid the abuse or due to illness caused by the stress of the abuse. There may be retaliation from the abuser or others in the workplace. The victim may also find themselves the victim of office gossip.
In some cases, the victim will lose their job due to sexual harassment, resulting in financial loss. The victim may also find that they have lost connections in her field. Those she has worked with and those in her field can distance themselves from her.
The victim can suffer the psychological effects of sexual harassment. Anxiety attacks, insomnia and loss of self-esteem are common. Even more seriously, some victims of sexual harassment may have PTSD, depression, or suicidal thoughts.
Physically, the effects of sexual harassment can be high blood pressure, headaches, and gastrointestinal upset. The victim may develop sexual dysfunction and have general intimacy problems. Eating disorders, including weight loss or gain, can also be effects of sexual harassment.
Studies indicate that nearly a third of women say they have experienced sexual harassment in the workplace. Of these women, more than half say they have taken no action to report the abuse. In most cases, the women reported that the abuser was their supervisor or a higher-ranking employee.
Victims recovering from the effects of sexual harassment can find help with a support group, counselor, or therapist. Many victims of sexual harassment try to isolate themselves from other people. Family members and friends can help the victim recover by helping them avoid this tendency.
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