The General Accounting Office released a report on Tuesday that stated incidents of sexual harassment in the military are underreported, according to Politico.
The GAO report found that only 4 out of 82 service members who allege sexual harassment actually made formal complaints.
The study also found that 41 percent believe that their peers would get away with the harassment even if they were reported.
The report also cited a number of reasons that sexual harassment is not reported. Some feel that the harassment isn’t severe enough to report or that the allegations would not be taken seriously. The GAO thinks that the military support for sexual harassment policies and programs are not strong enough.
Training programs and education are crucial in curtailing sexual harassment in the workplace and on college campuses. For some, special training isn’t enough to end sexual harassment and employees must enlist sexual harassment lawyers to intervene.
Military members also stated that reports of sexual harassment often get “swept under the rug” or ignored. Leaders feel that complaints would reflect poorly on their command.
In the workplace, many incidents of sexual harassment are often ignored or dismissed. Employees find that it is necessary to find a sexual harassment lawyer before their complaints are addressed.
Sexual harassment is detrimental to employees and the workplace in general. The environment can become hostile and create a range of issues for the harassed. When employers are not taking care of the problem, the employee has the recourse of filing a suit with the assistance of a sexual harassment lawyer.
