New York City Personal Injury Blog

Many instances of sexual harassment occur through the abuse of power. This is why it is important to recognize situations in which coworkers and managers abuse their power for personal gain. If any reference to sex is involved in this abuse of power, it may be possible to make a complaint of sexual harassment.

Victims of sexual harassment have the right to choose whether they want to make a complaint. Many victims decide not to make a complaint because they are fearful of repercussions in their career, or because they do not want to relive the traumatic event.

Sexual harassment is, unfortunately, surprisingly prevalent in the workplace. In recent years, more attention has been drawn to the issue, and, as a result, victims are feeling more empowered to assert their rights. However, the way that sexual harassment in the workplace can affect the lives of victims is not usually fully addressed.

Sexual harassment in the workplace usually falls under two categories: sexual harassment through the abuse of power, or sexual harassment through the creation of a hostile environment. An example of power abuse could be a boss asking an employee for sexual favors in return for a pay rise or promotion. The creation of a hostile environment could be invoked by an employee telling inappropriate sexual jokes or making sexual statements.

Drivers in New York may be surprised to hear that women run a higher risk for car accident injuries than men. For a study published in July's edition of Traffic Injury Prevention, researchers looked at some 22,000 front-end crashes. They found that women were 73% more likely to be hurt in these types of collisions. Not only that, females were also twice as likely to suffer spine, abdomen and leg injuries.

It should be noted that researchers excluded any female vehicle occupants who were more than three months pregnant or did not wear a three-point seatbelt. To get more precise data, they divided the cases into those involving newer vehicles (from 2009 upward) and older vehicles. They discovered that newer vehicle models saw 55% fewer injuries and were especially good at preventing spine, abdomen and lower-body injuries.

While sexual harassment cases in New York and across the country may be declining, African-American women are continuing to face escalated amounts of harassment on the job. According to one study, white women and younger women have benefited primarily from campaigns against sexual harassment in the workplace. Instead, researchers say, workplace harassers are targeting women of color and specifically black women. The study gathered data from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) stretching from 1997 to 2016.

The study's results highlight concerns that many worker advocates and legal scholars have brought to the fore: The particular type of discrimination experienced by black women. Black women may experience workplace harassment that is tinged both with sex and race discrimination, leading to a different experience than that of black men or white women. Analysts emphasized the importance of including anti-racist and race-aware curricula as part of sexual harassment education and training programs on the workplace. When training classes do not focus on the increased risks to African-American women in the workplace, they may be ineffective in creating a management culture that responds specifically to the problems suffered by black women. Some experts recommended training on implicit biases as a way to promote a more inclusive approach.