Despite the many attempts at bettering the workplace for all, some issues still persist. This includes the issue of sexual harassment.
Even though many jobs moved online in recent years, digital environment harassment still exists and can happen to any employee.
Tactics of digital harassment
ADP discusses harassment as it manifests in digital environments. First, many people who want to target others for harassment will make use of the tools that technology unfortunately provides.
Common tactics for harassers include sending the victim explicit messages through private channels. They will usually attempt to stick to private messages or one-on-one emails so as to avoid attention from the managers or other employees.
They may even use these private channels to send sexually explicit pictures or videos, too. In fact, unsolicited pictures of a person’s genitalia are among the most common examples used in digital sexual harassment cases.
In-person harassment techniques used online
Of course, many of the types of sexual harassment present in in-person workplaces also persist online. For example, an employer may attempt to coerce or threaten an employee into sending them sexually explicit pictures or engaging in sexually explicit conversation with them.
The threats or coercion will often mimic what it looks like in in-person situations, too. Common threats or coercive promises include the threat of demotion, the promise of promotion, a promise for a better salary, or a threat of getting the least desirable tasks.
Victims who face sexual harassment in a digital work environment still have rights and can take action to protect himself or herself.