Even though people often only think about women victims when sexual harassment comes to mind, the truth is that many men are often victimized by these unwanted acts as well. According to the Washington Times, more men than ever are coming forward and seeking legal protection against their harassers.
According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, statistics show that in 1990, only 8 percent of sexual harassment claims were filed by men. By 2014 that number had more than doubled to 17.5 percent. These figures do not include any claims filed by men at state and local levels. It should be noted that while the rate of male claimants continues to rise annually, the overall number of sexual harassment claims continues to steadily drop, indicating that the workplace is continually getting more harassing for male workers, or that menĀ are simply coming forward more with their claims.
The Washington Times states that while some claims do involve female coworkers with seniority, most male claimants are beingĀ victimized by other men. Additionally, men are more likely than women to experience sexual harassment because of their sexual orientation, or a perceived lack of masculinity. Since this behavior has long been accepted under a fraternity mentality, it has only recently begun to be known for what it is: illegal and damaging harassment.
In Pennsylvania, victims of sexual harassment receive the same protections no matter their gender or sexual orientation. They do not have to accept any behavior that involves unwelcome requests for sexual favors, unwelcome advances, or any other verbal, physical, or visual conduct of a sexual nature, especially when their acceptance or rejection of this behavior may affect their employment.