What Makes An Organization Prone To Sexual Harassment?

Is your company male-dominated, super hierarchical and forgiving when it comes to bad behavior? Then you are screwed.

According to researchers, those are the typical characteristics of the sort of organization more prone to sexual harassment and abuse.

The researchers claim that having more women doesn't necessarily prevent the behavior, but a male-dominated organization is more likely to have a 'locker-room culture.' More 'aggressive' and 'competitive.'

While I don't exactly agree with that, as women can also be very competitive—especially between each other—I do think that men feel more threatened by women in power than the other way around. That usually leads to sexist or obscene comments, which are also considered forms of sexual harassment.

On the other hand, while hierarchy is sometimes needed to avoid the complete chaos of who is responsible for what (I've been there), the degree of the power imbalances matters.

"Research has also shown that in the minds of men with a high proclivity to harass, power and sex are closely linked."

Harvey Weinstein, Justin Caldbeck, Geoff Marcy. They all have been accused of sexual harassment and abuse, and they all had the power. The power to launch an actor's career, the power to provide funding to women entrepreneurs, the power to write recommendation letters to undergraduates.

If you want to avoid those situations in your organization, you need to give voice to those at the bottom of the hierarchy.

And then, of course, take action against the perpetrators.