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Can Men get Sexually harassed?

Posted by bloggernoob • 7/31/08 • Subscribe to this Discussion [RSS] • Report This Topic
Topics: work

Sexual harassment is a big deal in the corporate world. Most of the time males are the doer. I was thinking...Is it possible for a male to get sexually harassed?

I say no, but then again, i don't really have a desirable bum. But if i was a Brad Pitt type, or a Johnny Depp type, i could see it happening.

Your thoughts?

User Comments

7/31/08

DrowseyMonkey

Of course they can. And it has nothing to do with how the man looks, just like when a women is sexually harassed it's not about how she looks. It's about the abuse of power.

Don't you remember that Dimi Moore/Michael Douglas movie?

[reply]
1. 7/31/08
  
  bloggernoob
  
  how could i forget that movie. it was awesome! i guess i was kinda joking with this very serious subject. But honestly, females sexually harassing women isn't that common. I would like to see the HR files of all the major corporations to see how many men have filed for sex harassment.
  
  i guess i could ask you. have you sexually harassed a male before? Let me think if i've ever sexually harassed a female. I think i remember in high school, i would whistle at the cute girls that walked by during lunch. does that count?
2. 7/31/08
  
  DrowseyMonkey
  
  Nope ... never sexually harassed anyone. I worked for a woman who was very, let's say ... aggressive with all her employees. I have no proof she ever sexually harassed anyone, but I can see her as someone who would. She was a nasty person who I think was very insecure and took it out on her employees. Thankfully I didn't work for her for very long.
7/31/08

roentarre

Well, I never have that experience since I think I am not that appealing at all.

[reply]
1. 7/31/08
  
  drjay1966
  
  Oh, come on...
7/31/08

DrowseyMonkey

Thinking that only attractive people get harassed puts the ownership on the victim. It's about the abuse of ones position in the organization, and about inappropriate behaviour on their part. It can be a terrible situation to be in.

[reply]
1. 7/31/08
  
  bloggernoob
  
  you are right. it does deal with the abuse of power. and thinking about it, i've seen cases where women of wealth and power sexually abuse men.
2. 7/31/08
  
  roentarre
  
  You are definitely right that emharassment is about powerplay and disrespect of people.
  
  It seems to me that I am one of the fortunate ones not to be picked on
7/31/08

drjay1966

Speaking as a man, I don't get sexually harassed nearly enough.

Seriously, though, sexual harassment is about power. So, when women are in positions of power over men, it certainly happens.

However, though I usually agree with DrowseyMonkey, I really wouldn't use a Demi Moore/Michael Douglas movie as an example of anything other than a waste of two hours.

[reply]
1. 7/31/08
  
  DrowseyMonkey
  
  lol ... I actually never saw the movie.
7/31/08

bloggernoob

nice. u referenced something without watching it. Awesome! it's not a bad movie. i don't know if getting sexually harassled by demi moore would be a bad thing tho.

[reply]
1. 7/31/08
  
  DrowseyMonkey
  
  Well, I saw the commercials Being harassed by Michael Douglas tho, eeesh. I still don't get how he married that chick young enough to be his granddaughter.
  
  Hey ... and Demi married a young guy. Hmmm.... that's gotta mean something.
7/31/08

acousticguitarist

yes, i have been harrassed by both male and female

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7/31/08

bloggernoob

OMG Drowsey. i think you just uncovered the sexual harassment conspiracy in hollywood. It's similar to the JFK and Lincoln similarities. Or the Michael jackson and janet jackson are the same person conspiracy.

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7/31/08

bloggernoob

btw, that young girl has a name. her name is catherine. and she's not that young. she won an academy award too. i don't think she deserved it tho. i only remember her in zoro and her lazer ass scene in that sean connery movie. one of the bests scenes in movie history

[reply]
1. 7/31/08
  
  DrowseyMonkey
  
  I've only seen her in Chicago ... she was okay. I don't get the hype but I like men And you're right ... I think I am on to some weird conspiracy thing in hollywood.
7/31/08

bloggernoob

what type of men do you like?

[reply]
1. 7/31/08
  
  DrowseyMonkey
  
  men who blog and use child-like avatars.
2. 7/31/08
  
  bloggernoob
  
  grrrrahh (thats me making a sexy lion noise) fyi
3. 7/31/08
  
  jadedconformist
  
  @Drowsey Monkey:
  
  "Why don't you have a seat over there."
  
  /Chris Hansen
7/31/08

smbizcoach

YES! Of course they can. It's rare, but they can.

[reply]
7/31/08

Enlight

Yes, Egypt is a good country for that to happen, which happened to me several times traveling Egypt. Currently I am in Beirut and it does not happen here.

[reply]
1. 7/31/08
  
  bloggernoob
  
  really? how so. sounds funny. what's culturally or socially different about egypt.
2. 8/03/08
  
  Enlight
  
  You would have to travel Egypt understand the depths of the culture, although the behavior is because of the tourist syndrome.
  
  You can read my blog, I did post 77 times concerning Egypt, which I traveled for 5 months. clearlyenlight.net
7/31/08

voodooKobra

Yes. Inane question.

Equality-- Learn what that word means.

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7/31/08

faithsju243

Men can get sexually harassed. One's gender has nothing to do with the issue at hand. I do think that men are less likely to report this because they don't want to be seen as less of a man, stereotypical male would be able to handle himself yada yada yada.

We also must remember that sexual harassment is different for each individual, some may consider a sexual joke harassment because it offended him/her but others wouldn't think twice about it. It is a sensitive topic and everyone should be mindful of what he/she does in a work environment.

[reply]
1. 7/31/08
  
  curlydesigh
  
  well said.
2. 7/31/08
  
  donkeySOUP
  
  rightly said. there are 'n' number of cases where the drivers & domestic help are used and dumped.
  
  as mentioned by you, "men are less likely to report this".
7/31/08

wehireu

Sure, you can have someone who you don't want approach you in the wrong way.

[reply]
7/31/08

wonderbrad

i suppose a guy could be sexually harassed about as easily as a rabbit in the springtime. Guys typically see it differently.

Personally I think most cases of "sexual harassment" are silly, and should be laughed out of court. Abuse is a horrible thing and should be taken seriously, but most complaints result from nothing more than an off color comment or an unwanted advance that may be perfectly innocent, but poorly presented. Most problems could be solved simply by saying "I know you found that funny, but I didn't, and I would appreciate it if you refrained from using such language while you are around me"

if a person doesn't like something then they should say so. Letting it build up without being mentioned is no way to treat something that makes one uncomfortable. The first course of action should not be in the courts.

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7/31/08

JanelleV

Men and women both can be sexually harassed.

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7/31/08

jadedconformist

Truthfully - it's only sexual harassment if I don't find you attractive.

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7/31/08

chessbumbus

No, I think.

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7/31/08

chessbumbus

Or maybe - yes?

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7/31/08

rakhisabant

=))

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7/31/08

ModelElaine

A friend told me his gay co-worker was fired because of sexual harassment because he was showing off pictures of his boyfriend in the office. True story

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7/31/08

bladeaxe4

never know if that happens ! mind intellect just drops in to say haven't seen men getting harassed that way

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7/31/08

pumpkinlights

I think so. I think a lot of times sexual harassment stems more from a need to dominate than just wanting the sex. I don't see why a woman in a position of power couldn't be just as guilty.

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7/31/08

BlondeConfessions

anyone can be sexually harassed, but i agree with wonderbrad - abuse is something serious (i was sexually harassed but NOT abused at my first job out of college), but a lot of things do get blown out or proportion. that said, it's still a prevalent problem.

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8/01/08

clive

Define harassed. Are we talking about by a woman or by a man?

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8/02/08

Bayho

LOL nice one clive. Yeah! i was going to ask the same thing. I think if you were a man and were harassed by a woman i think it wouldn't being a big problem unless she was like insane or something. Like stalkerish. but if it was another man.... that would just be kind of awkward. Lets just not go there.

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8/02/08

myriadlife

Definitely I think men can get harrassed and it is probably even more difficult for them to complain about it because they are usually seen as the sexual predators. I think some women might use this idea to get away with it. Intimidation is horrible from whichever sex is comes. Men can joke that they would love to be harrassed but should it really happen I think they could go off the idea big time. Unwanted attention is not so much fun. They forget they might not be attracted to whom it comes from!

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8/03/08

DieselLives

I was sexually harrased when working at a bowling centre in Essex about 10 years ago, by my manager.
My position meant I was always the second person to start in the morning, or the second to last to leave at night, guess who was first/last?
Many times she would collar me in the staff room as I arrived in the morning, and start coming on to me. She was old enough to be my mothers older sister and just divorced by her husband. She would say the most uncomfortable things ( I was only nineteen at the time), and show me far too much of her flesh. I ended up leaving because of it.

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8/03/08

Peglegstarfish

I agree, and think that it's too often overlooked. All we hear about is how girls and women are being sexually harassed, but it happens to guys. And not only by women, but harassed by men too. Plus, men can be generally less willing to admit to it or report it to a supervisor. I've been sexually harassed in the workplace and it just makes the job that much more unbearable. Say something!

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8/03/08

wikipika

ANYONE can get sexually harrassed. The thought that men 'would like to be sexually assaulted' is ridiculous. There are numerous cases about this.

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