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Sexual harassment > Abuse of authority?
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© Yves Lambert

Recognizing abuse of authority in sexual matters

The abuse of authority in sexual matters can have many different forms and the ways they are manifest cannot all be listed here. The perpetrators may resort to the following methods (list not exhaustive): promises, granting benefits, threats, constraints, psychological pressure, etc.

Sexual advances can be direct or more or less veiled; They may also be preceded by giving some type of benefit or perk ... that will follow: blackmail to be hired, threats of reprisal if refusal to submit to a sexual solicitation, sexual advances and the promise of a promotion.

There isn't necessarily repetition: a single act can be considered an abuse of authority in sexual matters.

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Harassment can manifest itself in a relationship of power ...

The abuse of authority in sexual matters can be committed by the employer or one of the directors of the company; by a manager, d'un supervisor or any person in a position of management responsibility, from a recruitment manager, to an outside consultant, to a company client who abuses his authority with an employee negotiating a contract with him, etc.

... but not only

In fact, the social modernization law dated
17 January 2002 modified the definition
of sexual harassment and did away with the necessity of hierarchical subordination.
Also, when an employee is the victim of harassment from a colleague at the same hierarchical level or even a lower level, not only is the accused liable for a disciplinary sanction pronounced by the employer but he can also be directly concerned by incrimination for sexual harassment.

   
Grave consequences for the victims
The abuse of authority in sexual matters
can have grave consequences for the victims, on their job, their career, their working conditions, of course, but also on their health both physical as well as psychological.

Victims can be women as well as men, and it is the same thing for the perpetrators (but, statistically, women are much more frequently victims of sexual harassment than men).

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