Sexual harassment and sexual intimacy in learning environments

Canadian Psychology, Feb 1996 by Pyke, Sandra W

Kilcoyne (1990) offers four supplementary perspectives as additions to the formal policies and procedures currently in place in an institution. First, universities should adopt an empowerment perspective in which the focus is on the complainant not the perpetrator, and on relief as opposed to punishment. Action should reflect the wishes and interests of the women victims. Second, universities should adopt an educative perspective acting to enhance community awareness of the existence and impact of exploitative forms of behaviour. Third, since policies are reactive, universities should become more proactive. For example, universities should adopt comprehensive anti - sexist language policies; should implement mandatory student evaluation of faculty teaching as a means to identify hostile or offensive materials or conduct in the lecture hall; should formulate editorial policies vis - a - vis student publications; and so on. Finally, Kilcoyne, along with Osborne, argues for structural changes such as increasing the representation of women faculty, integrating feminist scholarship into the curriculum and modifying the traditional hierarchical modes of organization and decision - making in university operations.

Other strategies for change include actions of discipline associations such as those outlined below.

The CPA Response

The Canadian Psychological Association has taken a very clear position on the issue of sexual harassment. Policy Statement 1981 -- 1 states,

The Canadian Psychological Association endorses the principle that psychologists do not condone or engage in sexual harassment in their relationships with clients, supervisors, colleagues, students, employees, or research participants. (Canadian Psychological Association, 1992, p. 17)

In 1985, CPA approved and adopted the following four guidelines designed to assist in the elimination of sexual harassment (Byers & Price, 1986).

Guideline 1. Psychologists do not engage in sexual harassment.

Guideline 2. Psychologists do not condone the practice of sexual harassment either through active encouragement, implied acceptance, or failure to take action to stop sexual harassment from occurring.

Guideline 3. Psychologists take responsible action when they suspect sexual harassment is occurring through first confronting colleagues who are behaving inappropriately and, failing resolution at this informal level, bringing the behaviour to the attention of the appropriate committee on professional ethics. The psychologist may take the wishes of the victim into account in deciding on appropriate action.

Guideline 4. Settings employing psychologists should have procedures in place for dealing with allegations of sexual harassment. These procedures should cover a range of possible incidents, require the documentation of the specific circumstances of each complaint, and provide for a thorough and objective investigation of the complaint while at the same time ensuring confidentiality to all parties. If sexual harassment is found to occur, the outcome should be made public with some sensitivity. There should be provision for negative consequences for the harasser and protection of the victim from retaliation. Victims need to be informed that some incidents of sexual harassment may constitute assault and/or violate laws prohibiting discrimination, and thus could be pursued through the courts. (p. 371)