Elizabeth Thompson Ortiz on Sexual Harassment

During 1992, many Orange County residents wrote about their thoughts and feelings in articles for Orange County opinion pages. As we look back on the year, some of those thoughts are recalled in these excerpts.

The recent civil lawsuit filed against the police chief and a top administrator of the 250-member Newport Beach Police Department by four female employees alleging that they are victims of sexual harassment has dramatically brought the issue back into the public spotlight and conscience.

Sexual harassment is a very serious and very common problem for which we have had a name only in the last 20 years. Most working women and a minority of working men can expect to experience sexual harassment at some point in their careers. A survey of several thousand working women conducted by a woman’s magazine found that nine out of 10 reported they had been sexually harassed at work.

Fortunately, quite a bit is known about the characteristics of harassers and how to avoid or neutralize them. As the Newport Beach case shows, the victims are likely to pay a far higher price than the harasser. Here are a few pointers:

* Avoid looking and acting helpless. Set limits early and clearly with anyone who tries inappropriate sexual talk or touching.

* Listen to co-workers; many harassers already have a long history of the behavior.

* Avoid situations where you will be alone or under the direct supervision of a known harasser.

As the drama of the Newport Beach case continues to unfold, we should remember that regardless of its outcome, it will serve (as Anita Hill’s testimony in the Clarence Thomas hearings did) to heighten awareness of the harm that sexual harassment does and to further reduce societal tolerance for it.

Elizabeth Thompson Ortiz, DSW, is an associate professor at Cal State Long Beach and the author of “Your Complete Guide to Sexual Health” (Prentice-Hall).