Sexual harassment is an undesirable behavior that occurs when a person is forced to participate in unwanted sexual acts or experiences sexual comments/advances against their will. It can occur in various forms such as verbal, physical, emotional, visual or digital. This article explains how sexual harassment shapes the mental state of soldiers. Sexual harassment in the army leads to a decrease in morale, which reduces productivity levels. Soldiers often lose trust in their colleagues after being assaulted, making them feel vulnerable and unsafe. In addition, victims are traumatized, affecting their concentration while they serve in combat. The psychological climate of the unit changes, leading to distrust among members who were once close friends, thus reducing teamwork and collaboration. As a result, soldiers may start avoiding work assignments that require interaction with others.
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Subtle harassment includes behaviors like staring, touching, joking, flirting, leering, or sending suggestive messages through social media platforms. These actions are more common than you think, especially where there's a power imbalance between perpetrators and victims. Victims may feel pressured to comply with requests out of fear of losing promotions, jobs, or benefits, and sometimes even end up getting physically hurt. Overt sexual harassment involves groping, kissing, grabbing, rape, and other unwelcome advances. Both subtle and overt sexual harassment contribute to lower morale, which decreases motivation and performance among soldiers.
Sexual harassment also affects the mental health of the victim, causing anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, insomnia, stress, trauma, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It can lead to substance abuse and suicide attempts.
The army is supposed to provide a safe environment for its personnel; therefore, commanders must take action against perpetrators by investigating allegations, punishing offenders appropriately, and providing support for victims. Awareness campaigns should be conducted to educate soldiers on what constitutes inappropriate behavior in the field. Soldiers should speak up if they experience any form of harassment, and supervisors should encourage them to report incidents without repercussions. In addition, the military should ensure that victims receive counseling services from qualified therapists who understand their situation.
Sexual harassment has a devastating effect on soldiers, leading to reduced productivity levels, distrust among colleagues, avoidance of work assignments, and mental health problems. Therefore, leaders need to address this issue promptly before it escalates further and negatively impacts unit cohesion and mission success.
How does sexual harassment, subtle or overt, reshape the psychological climate of a unit and influence soldiers' sense of safety?
Sexual harassment can have a profound impact on the psychological climate of a unit and can greatly affect soldiers' sense of safety. It has been shown that it can lead to decreased morale, trust, cohesion, and overall job satisfaction among members of the unit (McKenna & Baird, 2013).