Sexual harassment is a common issue in workplaces worldwide. It can be related to any gender, but the issue is particularly relevant for women. There are various laws and acts that are purposed to protect people from such behavior of others, yet the problem is still present and requires attention. More often, sexual harassment is a kind of victimization. It involves the improper use of power to extort sexual pleasure and involves having the wrong idea about someone’s intentions (Richard et al., 2020). It represents a male having dominance over an abusive female. As it indicates a disparity of power between the offender and the victim, which generally reflects power disparities among males and especially among women in the public sphere, it may be said that the act results from an abusive control rather than from sexual interest.
Legal experts and academics have emphasized that the current situation is suspect since it not only interferes with the individuals involved’ personal lives but also casts doubt on the unlucky victim’s abilities and composure. Inappropriate behavior is put in the monetary and political context of intense interactions, just like all other reported symptoms of violence. It develops within the male-centric social structures of class, status, and masculine authority. That type of behavior involves tactical and prior planning and sexual law concerns.
Due to historical connections between massage and sex work, negative preconceptions that support the sexual objectification of massage treatment exist. Additionally, some people could find the privacy and complete or partial nudity associated with massage treatment to be seductive. However, very little is known about clients who sexually harass massage therapists. The purpose of the current research project was to look at massage therapists’ claims of client sexual harassment. A survey on the circumstances and effects of harassment incidents was completed by 143 massage therapists (Gupta & Garg, 2020). According to the poll, sexual harassment by customers occurred to 74.8 % of massage therapists, with 26.5 % reporting incidents more than three times (Gupta & Garg, 2020). Although 34.0% of respondents said they had experienced both physical and verbal types of harassment, verbal forms of sexual harassment were more prevalent (55.0%) than physical forms (6.0%) (Gupta & Garg, 2020). The majority of incidents (87.9%) took place during the actual therapy, and 79.4% of therapists reported the incident to someone (Gupta & Garg, 2020). Only one therapist called the police to report an incident. The implications for enhancing the safety of massage therapists are highlighted, along with a recommendation for more study in this area.
Regarding the safety of clients, there are various recommendations for the owners that they can adopt to make their customers feel safe. The key to assuring that the person who is being hired as a massage therapist is harmless for clients is the proper interview – it has to be an experienced interviewer who understands what is expected from a professional in such a position. Checking the person’s background, licensing, and online presence is crucial as well (Benjamin, 2021). It is necessary to have a code of ethics for the massage therapists so it is clear what they are allowed to do. The statements in the code have to be clear and strict regarding sexual harassment, so it is clear to employees that such behavior will lead to consequences.
References
Richard, M. E., O’Sullivan, L. F., & Peppard, T. (2020). Sexual harassment of massage therapists by their clients. The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 29(2), 205-211.
Gupta, D., & Garg, J. (2020). Sexual harassment at workplace. International Journal of Legal Science and Innovation. Web.
Benjamin, B. (2021). Sexual assault prevention guidelines. Massage & Bodywork, 36(5), 72-79. Web.