Should Workplace Sexual Harassment Prevention And Workplace Respect Be Heart-Centred?
- Feb 28, 2022
- 5 min read
Updated: Jan 25, 2024
Written by: Adriana Leigh, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
These past years, the diversity, equity, and inclusion, and sexual harassment prevention landscape has shifted dramatically.
From me too to black lives matter, inequities during COVID-19 are being named and surfaced within workplaces and organizations. In our current context, the status quo is no longer an option.
Old approaches to tackling issues of sexual harassment and building workplace respect were rooted in what I call a “compliance-centred” approach. People relied on laws and/or workplace policies to tell them what not to do, and how not to do something. What often followed was a basic and brief compliance-centred training, telling people what not to do. We have all heard of the classic example of the less than effective one-hour sexual harassment seminar.
Research supports why a compliance-based approach alone will not lead to sustainable change. In a study in the Journal of Applied Behavioral Science (2001), men who underwent 30 minutes of sexual harassment programming were less likely to perceive or report sexual harassment, and in fact, more likely to blame the victim. Studies also show training is enhanced when people are asked to be a part of the solution, set goals for how they will change the workplace for the better, and empathize with the perspective of a colleague. See: “Is Sexual Harassment Training Hopeless?”, Nora Caplan-Bricker, Slate Magazine And “Me Too” – What Next?”, Adriana Leigh G. ALG Consulting Blog.
Research has also suggested that although predicting changes in attitudes via sexual harassment training is a challenge, the most consistent findings in changes in attitudes were observed when training was intended to promote empathy towards targets consistently see: Sexual Harassment Training Effectiveness: An Interdisciplinary Review and Call for Research, Journal of Organizational Behaviour, Mark V. Roehling and Jason Huang.
I have seen countless organizations write workplace respect policies as part of a “checklist” exercise, spurred into creating a policy and brief training as an afterthought or a reaction to legislation or an incident. Then, these policies gather dust on the shelf. To bring these policies to life in day-to-day interactions, we need a more heart and human-centred approach.
Here are tips to help organizations move to a human and heart-centred approach to sexual harassment prevention and workplace respect:
1. Focus on the Behavior, not the Person
Debating who is a “bad person” and who is a “good” can divert participants from the point, which is to change how we be and see with each other. Focus on which behaviours promote respect and consent – and which do not and involve participants in that discussion. You can also use “calling in” tactics rather than just “calling out,” especially when facilitating
sensitive trainings. This can often look like a one-on-one conversation. See Loretta Ross’ transformative work on calling in.
In a recent training on sexual harassment prevention, one participant was challenging me and participants repeatedly. We had a “calling in” conversation at the break, where I understood the fear behind his defensiveness. We talked about shifting to thinking about the impact of his behaviour rather than his intention, and that this is not about whether he was a "good" or "bad" person. In the end, we made an agreement he would change behaviour, even where he did not agree with my perspective.
2. Empower People to be Part of the Solution
To create a culture of respect in your organization, people need to be empowered to see themselves as part of the problem AND the solution. They need new tools to take action that leads to positive change.
In my trainings, I integrate activities to build participants’ skills and confidence to take positive action, by focusing on empathy and perspective-taking, communication skills, helping them understand the impact of their behaviour, and bystander intervention tools. It is crucial to remind folks that training is not just about what NOT to do, but about building a better workplace for everyone.
3. Recognize Power Dynamics, and Tackle Sexual Harassment Myths
In training, it is important to unpack societal norms that inform and create bias, including sexual harassment victim-blaming myths.
These trainings need to emphasize that sexual harassment is about misuse of power and an expression of gender-based discrimination, not sexuality, or prohibiting relationships. See: Anti-Sexual Harassment Training: Does it Work?, University of Toronto Rotman School of Management, Institute for Gender and the Economy, Carmina Ravenera and Joyce He and An Overview of the Literature on Sexual Harassment: Perpetrator, Theory, and Treatment Issues, Aggression and Violent Behavior, Pina, A., Gannon, T. A., & Saunders, B.
Incorporate discussion of commonly held victim-blaming misconceptions around sexual harassment and violence such as “it was just a joke/compliment” or “she was asking for it.” I have used group exercises to challenge these myths, as well as statistics on rates of underreporting of sexual harassment and sexual violence, for example, in Canada in 2014, only 5% of sexual assault cases were the object of a complaint to police. Source: Statistics Canada, Criminal Victimization in Canada, 2014.
4. Customize Training
Go beyond cookie cutter and checklist approaches. Co-create scenarios for trainings that reflect the experience of your staff, cultural context, and sector.
As noted by the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, all sexual harassment training should be tailored to the specific circumstances, sector, and daily context of an organization. See: Promising Practices for Preventing Harassment.
Finally, remember that training may be the most common way to address sexual harassment prevention, but it is not the only way. Organizations should ensure other processes are developed to prevent sexual harassment and support staff including policy, frequent discussions, performance management and follow up to training, as well as work towards greater representation of women in positions of power. See: Anti-Sexual Harassment Training: Does it Work?, University of Toronto Rotman School of Management, Institute for Gender and the Economy, Carmina Ravenera and Joyce He.
Dan Levy, creator of one of my favourite shows, Schitt’s Creek, notes that folks often learn better when they are being shown that a different world is possible, rather than just being told to “learn a lesson,” or what not to do. Now, more than ever, these words should guide us.
To bring your sexual harassment and respect in the workplace training and policy to life, contact me now for a free needs assessment.
For further inspiration, check out my newest podcast interview with Dr. Melissa Horne: Should Corporate Policies Be Heart-Centered?
Adriana Leigh, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Adriana Leigh is a Canadian self-described "recovering lawyer" turned global gender consultant, facilitator and trainer, writer and speaker, She builds safer, gender-equitable, caring, and inclusive workplaces and organizations, free of sexual harassment and gender-based violence.
She brings a much-needed human and heart-centred, rather than a merely compliance-centred approach to these issues, combined with her legal and subject matter expertise and background in human rights education.
Adriana delivers global workshops, sexual harassment and violence policy and reporting processes development, implementation coaching to managers and human resources and thought leadership. She works cross-sector with UN agencies building the capacity of partner organizations, international human rights organizations, in addition to private sector clients and universities.
Her work has been showcased by Charity Village, Medium, UN Women, Sexual Violence Research Initiative, Mtavari Channel, Brainz Magazine and World Pulse, among others.
She is the recipient of a World Pulse Spirit Award in the Champion category, and was featured by World Pulse in the article: “Her Story Makes History: 21 Women Leaders to Watch in 2021” in the company of a group of 21 changemakers from 13 different countries who are connecting online to power change on the ground.
