Report: SAWS#3 "Campus Harassment: Don't Become a Victim or Victimizer!"

Takehiko KAMITO
CGS Member, ICU Lecturer

【The article below is the same as the article that appears in the fourteenth issue of the CGS Newsletter.】

　The third part of CGS's Self-Awareness Workshop Series was "Campus Harassment: Don't Become a Victim or Victimizer!" a lecture by associate professor Chisato Kitanaka, who is currently with the Harassment Counseling Oce at Hiroshima University. The lecture was held on June 14th, 2011, and co-hosted by the ICU Human Rights Committee.
　Professor Kitanaka started by outlining the concept of sexual harassment (hereafter SH), using specic examples to illustrate her discussion. While individual perpetrators can be held accountable in cases of chikan (groping on trains), many other forms of SH involve unequal power relations, where people in positions of authority (e.g. teachers, supervisors, interviewers) take unfair advantage of those in vulnerable or insecure positions (e.g. students, subordinates, interviewees). In such cases, accountability lies not only with the individual but also with the institutions and corporations that allow the abuses to take place. In addition, certain cases are often not recognized as SH, particularly if the victimizer is of the same sex, or of the same age-group (like a classmate). One example raised was that of drinking parties where people are pressured by their peers to reveal details of their sexual experiences. SH cases roughly fall under two categories, and a knowledge of this classication can help us to recognize SH when it occurs: 1) Quid Pro Quo Sexual Harassment, which arises when people exploit their position or power and usually occurs between two individuals; and 2) Hostile Environment Sexual Harassment such as the spreading of rumors in the workplace, is usually perpetrated by more than one person. It can be surmised that this latter type reects society's dismissive attitude towards women and sexual minorities.
　Furthermore, Professor Kitanaka observed that power harassment and academic harassment, which can also happen in the workplace and at university, are often interwoven with SH because power relations are at the root of many SH cases. Besides overt displays of aggression or threats, there is also mental and moral harassment, which can happen to anyone as an extension of things like strict guidance. Since one reason for the prevalence of such psychological forms of harassment is that the perpetrators often fail to see their actions as such, it is essential to educate both victims and victimizers to recognize and deal with harassment.
　A question that is often raised in discussions of SH is, "Where do we draw the line between acceptable behavior and SH?" Though the ostensible reason for such a question is the fear and anxiety of unknowingly committing SH, there is also the danger of people thinking that it is all right to indulge in certain kinds of oensive behavior as long as it is not regarded as SH. In response to this, Professor Kitanaka rst dened SH as "the abuse of power or position to violate an individual's sexual freedom or the self-determination of his/her sexual identity." Thus, she stressed that we should think of SH not in terms of the words or actions themselves, but rather, in terms of a person's social standing and behavior in certain contexts, including what constitutes inexcusable behavior after a sexual advance is rebued. It is therefore important to treat each case as distinct in the sense that it involves relations between individuals, rather than regarding it in terms of the law or generalizations.
　Finally, in order to avoid becoming an SH victim, it is important to be well informed, to consult with someone regarding any problems as soon as possible, and to keep a record of any misdemeanors. And while individuals should help each other and speak out about SH cases, these problems are usually linked to the prevalent power hierarchy so there is an urgent need for a system in which victims can seek redress and support from others.