Supporting Sexual Harassment Victims After the Case

Sexual harassment can be extremely traumatic and confusing. It can take a long time for victims to acknowledge that what they suffered was harassment and confide in trusted people. Often, sexual harassment takes place in the workplace or in other situations where the victim is supposed to feel safe.

Supporting sexual harassment victims after the case requires empathy and sensitivity. Whether you’re a friend, a coworker, an HR manager, or a counselor, the following tips can help in empowering survivors.

Helping Victims Recognize Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment can be obvious, like quid pro quo requests for sexual favors in exchange for a promotion. However, some harassment toes the line of acceptable social behaviors. It can look like:

• Suggestive remarks or sexual innuendos
• Repeatedly asking someone out despite continuous refusals
• Increasingly personal questions about relationship status or sexual preferences
• Unnecessary physical contact, like touching on the arm, or intruding on the victim’s personal space
• Pretexts for being alone with the victim (e.g., pressuring them to stay behind after office hours to work on a task together)

If a friend, family member, or colleague comes to you and says, “This is what happened. Am I overreacting? Is it reasonable to feel uncomfortable?” it’s crucial to acknowledge their concerns and help them recognize the harasser’s problematic behaviors. 

Immediate Aftermath Assistance and Support for Victims

Validation and unconditional support are two things that will help the victim start their healing process. You should listen patiently, express empathy, and let the victim know you’re there for them. Some appropriate things to say may be:

• “I believe you. Thank you for trusting me enough to tell me this.”
• “I’m so sorry this happened.”
• “It wasn’t your fault. You did nothing to encourage this type of behavior.”
• “I’m here to support you.”

Encourage the victim to do two things: One, take steps to stop the harassment, and two, protect their mental health. The first depends on where and how the harassment took place. In a workplace situation, advise the victim to document all instances of the sexual harassment (for example, save suggestive texts or emails) and file a complaint with HR or their direct supervisor.

Share supportive resources for survivors, like the National Sexual Assault Hotline or community resources. If the victim feels unsafe because of behaviors like stalking, encourage them to report the harassment to the police. 

Long-Term Post-Harassment Support

Supporting sexual harassment victims after the case shouldn’t end within a few weeks or months. Many victims take years to process what happened, especially after prolonged harassment, and some will need sexual harassment counseling to assist their healing process. 

Validate the Survivor’s Experience

Once the harassment episode has ended, others may expect the survivor to move on. However, reality is often more complex. Even if the harassment never escalated into direct assault, survivors may develop lasting shame, insecurity, and trust issues. Some may experience long-term emotional effects like depression and PTSD. 

Every survivor’s recovery journey is different, and victims should never feel like they’re taking too long to heal. Empathy and zero judgment are two key principles in supporting people who have endured sexual harassment.

Offer Ongoing Support

When people first tell others about being sexually harassed, they can usually count on wide support. However, after a while, family and friends tend to assume that the survivor “got over it.” 

The sexual harassment victim who confided in you may still be struggling even months or years after the painful episode. You can help by checking in periodically to ask, “How do you feel these days?” Be aware of potential suicide warning signs, like withdrawal, hopelessness, or unusual behavioral patterns.

Legal Options After Sexual Harassment 

Closure and justice can aid in recovery for harassment victims. Knowing that the perpetrator will have to pay for their actions is empowering. Moreover, filing a complaint for sexual harassment can stop the harasser from targeting other people. 

If sexual harassment occurs at work, the victim should report it to their employer or follow company protocols to file a complaint with the HR department. The employer must then investigate the event and take steps to stop it. 

However, some employers will ignore the complaints or fail to protect the workers suffering harassment. Some will even retaliate against the victim for reporting harassment. If this happened to someone you know, please encourage the victim to talk to a sexual harassment lawyer. 

Kent Pincin: Representing Sexual Harassment Victims Across California

Did you suffer sexual harassment in the workplace, or do you know a victim? Empathetic legal help is part of supporting sexual harassment victims after the case. At Kent Pincin, we help harassment survivors fight for justice and hold employers accountable if the harassment took place at work.

Call 310-376-0922 or contact us online to consult a sexual harassment lawyer.