"Sexual Harassment from a Catholic Perspective"

Essay by joeymonkornHigh School, 12th gradeA+, January 2003

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Sexual Harassment is defined by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission as; "Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitutes sexual harassment when submission to or rejection of this conduct explicitly or implicitly affects an individual's employment, unreasonably interferes with an individual's work performance or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment." (The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 2002) Some types of sexual harassment include "unwanted sexual advances; offering employment benefits in exchange for sexual favors; making or threatening reprisals after a negative response to sexual advances; visual conduct: leering, making sexual gestures, displaying of sexually suggestive objects or pictures, cartoons or posters; verbal conduct, making or using derogatory comments, epithets, slurs, and jokes; verbal sexual advances or propositions; verbal abuse of a sexual nature; graphic verbal commentaries about an individual's body; sexually degrading words used to describe an individual; suggestive or obscene letters, notes, or invitations; and physical conduct: touching, assault, impeding or blocking movements."

(David H. Greenberg, 2002) This paper will cover the position of the Roman Catholic Church, the current cultural attitudes on sexual harassment, and my own opinion on the subject. A variety of sources will be used in order to ensure accuracy and to give a broader outlook on the topic. Subjects that will be covered are: types of sexual harassment, the federal laws on sexual harassment, what to do if you are sexually harassed, ways to prevent sexual harassment, statistic about sexual harassment, and why it is a problem.

"In expectation of that day, the believers' body and soul already participate in the dignity of belonging to Christ. This dignity entails the demand that he should treat with respect his own body, but also the body of every other person." (Catechism of the...