Sexual harassment iri the South African police service: A situation analysis, preventive measures and guidelines for addressing sexual harassment

Abstract

Public awareness of sexual harassment, pas only recently been attained. The sexual harassment of women has however been a problem for as long as women have worked outside their homes (Fitzgerald & Hesson-Mcinnes 1988: 152; Spann 1990:55). Sexual harassment is thus an old problem for its victims and potential victims, but a relatively new one for public concern and debate. lntemational and South African studies indicate that sexual harassment is a problem in virtually
every organisation an~ that a large number of women are the recipients of unwanted sexual attention (Dancaster 1991:449). 

Despite the growing public attention devoted to the subject of sexual harassment internationally , basic definitional issues remain  unresolved. However, nowadays most employers have realized that a distinction should -be macfe between acceptable and unacceptable sexually orientated behaviour in the workplace. Research, · both internationally and in South Africa, has proven that sexual harassment has become  a major concern to employers as they have become aware of its financial and environmental costs as well as the cost to morale in the workplace (Prekel 1989 :34; Wagner 1992: 1).