Question

Sexual harassment in the United States has become a very explosive issue, from the entertainment industry to the political arena.

1.) Identify and describe areas of concern in the criminal justice system related to sexual harassment/sexual assault.

2.) Is this an area of concern for both employees and offenders in the criminal justice system? What are some measures/strategies that can be implemented by criminal justice agencies to address these concerns?

Answer 1

Sexual Harassment Concerns

The criminal justice system is responsible to make a healthy society. Certainly sexual harassment is violation of civil rights act that must be enforced by the criminal justice system. Criminal justice system thus has a concern of violation of rights of people when sexual harassment takes place. Another concern of criminal justice system is to prevent both men and women from sexual harassment as it is found that female supervisors also exploit male subordinates. Another concern for the criminal justice system is identifying the causes of sexual harassment as hostile work environment also leads to sexual harassment. Concerns to address victim needs, protecting them during criminal justice process, ensuring their safety, protecting victims from further assaults, protecting witnesses, preventing children sexual harassment are other very important concerns deliberated by criminal justice system. Sexual harassment leads to fear and trauma for victims and thus criminal justice system has a concern how to maintain dignity of victims. These concerns are often displayed by criminal justice system in case of sexual harassment takes place

2. The sexual harassment is an area of concern for both offenders and employees. Criminal justice system takes into account the rights of defendant until the person becomes offender. Civil rights are equally provided to all and therefore, criminal justice system ensures that civil rights of defendant or offender must not be violated.

To address these concerns, criminal justice system should ensure that needs of victims must be fulfilled and sensitivity by judiciary towards victim needs must be demonstrated. Criminal justice system should make the process easier to provide testimony for victim. Participation facilitating in the court requires criminal justice system to exclude public from hearing process and testify a victim outside of the court if he or she is unable to communicate in the court. Similarly, the criminal justice system should accept videotape testimony if the victim is a minor. The criminal justice system should ensure that safety of victim must be provided. Repeated sexual harassment at workplace must be prevented by the criminal justice system. Along with these initiatives, to prevent sexual harassment at workplace, the criminal justice system should draft a stung sexual harassment policy including hostile work environment impact and quid pro quo sexual harassment, supervision by management and training for employees. These steps can ensure that the criminal justice system becomes responsive to the needs of victims and reduces workplace sexual harassment.