The #MeToo movement started by activist Tarana Burke gained momentum in October of 2017 when actress Alyssa Milano invited women on Twitter to respond “me too” to her tweet if they’d experienced sexual harassment or abuse. Women did so across social media, telling their stories and revealing the extent to which so many had lived in silence.
It’s Not Always Clear What Constitutes Sexual Harassment. Use This Tool to Navigate the Gray Areas.
While the #MeToo and TimesUp movements have made important cultural strides in elevating the conversation around sexual harassment, on the organizational level, there is still a lot of confusion. And it makes sense given the difficulty in delineating mild to serious forms of gender-based offenses. Where are the lines over which men should not step? How should men and women be handling comments and behaviors that are mildly — or deeply — offensive? When are resignation and firing appropriate? The Spectrum of Sexual Misconduct at Work was developed to help people define and differentiate among types of gender-based offense. Based on interviews and interactions with hundreds of women in a wide variety of fields, the spectrum is intended as a blueprint for men and women and organizations to use in becoming familiar with levels of offense that can harm work relationships and create or perpetuate hostile work environments. It also provides a means of talking more openly about sexual misconduct — a way to halt backlash against women by formulating solutions. Organizations can use it as a framework to provide training that improves work culture and lowers the risk of conflict and legal action, and individuals can use it to decide when and how to respond to behaviors they see as offensive whether minor or extreme.