Sexual Harassment Against Women and Men
Several weeks ago, the news you saw on television or social medias were mostly filled with a famous singer who got harassed sexually from a stranger that sent her unappropriate messages sliding through her instagram direct message. The world was watching this, some giving her supports and others blaming her for no reasons. This had become a trending topic and people still argue to this day.
Some appreciated her for being brave to speak up. In fact, she eventually encourages other women to be as brave as she is when it’s talking about sexual harassment. She’s just one in a million who happened to get sexual harassment. There are hundreds and thousands other women who might experience this. They are suffering, in need of help yet afraid of speaking up. Most of women are afraid of being judged by the society. They are afraid how the world see them when people know that they are being sexually harassed. That it’s such a shame to get harassed sexually. This sense of shame often causes the victims to blame themselves for the sexual harassment done by other people. It becomes worse when women are accused of causing their own victimization with negative comments showering them most of the times.
With this issue rising up, some people begin to understand her shoes. But sometimes people misinterpretate that sexual harassment only occurs to women, when in fact, other men out there might experience this.
Yesterday, I saw an Indonesian athlete who did his celebration by undressing his t-shirt in front of thousand people watching him. People were cheering up for the good game he had done. But when I came to comments section on social medias, most of women commented unappropriate stuff to him. Some are giving him verbal abuse that might lead to sexual harassment. It’s no longer an act of appreciation, it might be sexual harassment against men.
And it’s not okay.
Men who have been sexually assaulted or abused may have the same feelings and reactions as women who survive of sexual assault. They may also face some additional challenges because of social attitudes and stereotypes about men and masculinity. In the UK, a BBC Radio 5 survey found 20% of men questioned said they had experienced sexual harassment, ranging from inappropriate comments to actual sexual assaults.
They are just as afraid as other women who experience sexual harassment. It’s not wise for us to think that only women who can get justice for sexual harassment while there are men suffering from the same things.
We might think that we are having fun but that doesn’t justify our actions towards other people.
We have to question ourselves.
What if we are currently harassing other people by both verbal or physical actions?
