성희롱 사건의 처리 절차에 대한 고찰 - 공공기관의 성희롱 사건을 중심으로 -

Abstract

In recent years, the sexual harassment by college lecturers has become a serious problem in a society. Unfortunately, the sexual harassment has been spreading to schools across the country including middle and high schools. A low-level of understanding about the sexual harassment caused by lack of knowledge and experience about this issue, job rotation and managing several tasks at the same time is known as an important factor of the sexual harassment. Besides, the absence of the appropriate guidelines and references about the sexual harassment is considered the substantive obstacle to dealing with the sexual harassment promptly and justly. In this situation, this paper seeks to broaden and deepen the understanding of the sexual harassment by examining the major issues relevant to the procedure for handling the sexual harassment. Generally, victims of the sexual harassment are less likely to complain due to the relationship with the perpetrator in a higher status position. Submission to or rejection of sexual harassment can be used as the pretext for employment decisions threatening a person's whole life. It means that the sexual harassment in the unequal labor environment results in serious physical and psychological injuries in itself. Therefore, the most effective weapon against the sexual harassment is prevention by implementing the precautions; dealing with the sexual harassment promptly and fairly after the incident is merely the next best solution. As the most effective precaution against sexual harassment, people are required to get a preventive education on the issue not to become the victims or offenders of the sexual harassment. For preventing the sexual harassment, it is important for the potential victims to receive training to express their opinions clearly while expressing their refusal in their daily lives. On the other hand, the potential offenders must be well acquainted with the precaution against the sexual harassment. Also, they need to pay attention to people's responses and respect their opinions especially when making comments that contain sexual contents. Lastly, witnesses or acquaintances who get the news about the sexual harassment should not hesitate to report it to prevent another victim. To avoid the secondary damage, they are required to keep the information about the incident confidential until the case ends.