Examining the relationship between law and social change in the context of employees' everyday problems with sexual harassment, this volume elaborates a framework for studying the role of law in everyday acts of resistance - what the author calls the legal consciousness of injustice. The framework situates the analysis in the context of a specific social problem and its related legal domain. It de-centres the law by accounting for the way that social movements, counter-movements, policy makers and powerful institutions frame the debate surrounding the social problem. Drawing on frame analysis developed in social movement studies, this aspect of the approach specifically incorporates other schema and shows how law supports both oppositional and dominant interpretations of experience. Following the stages of a dispute, the framework then examines the way that people use frames to make sense of their experiences.

Back Off is filled with real-life success stories from women who have stopped harassers cold: -- Sharon, who succeeded in stopping a whole crew of habitual harassers in a city park... -- Stephanie, a ten-year-old who confronted and escaped a child molester... -- Catharine and Molly, who stood up to their landlord and stopped him from harassing the tenants... and dozens more. From an eight-year-old who successfully challenged two young harassers on the playground to an organized group of fifty women who confronted a dockworker in response to an attempted rape on the job, here's what they did, how they did it -- and how you can do it, too. Back Off is the first book to focus on the direct-action tactics that work and the first to deal with harassment everywhere it takes place, in both blue-collar and white-collar jobs, at school, on the street, on the bus or subway, in the park, even in church. Back Off examines the dynamics of sex and power in sexual harassment, the motives behind harassers' actions, and why traditional responses such as appeasement or aggression don't work, and describes the successful resistance strategies that you really can use -- including nonviolent personal confrontation techniques, group confrontations, administrative remedies, and formal lawsuits.

At last a practical and thorough sourcebook for anyone faced with the ordeal of sexual harassment. Until two years ago, we were two ordinary working women with career goals and bright futures...Then suddenly everything changed. We encountered a situation we never thought would happen to us--we became victims of sexual harassment. While sexual harassment is increasingly in the headlines, it remains a confusing, isolating ordeal for the individuals whose lives it affects. In addition to the feelings of powerlessness, anger, and fear it often instills, a woman (or man) who is being sexually harassed is faced with a maze of professional, legal, and personal decisions. This book, written by two women who conducted intensive research in order to find their way through the maze, offers a lifeline of information and a safety net of support. With a balanced point of view and generous checklists, examples, and personal narratives, the book covers: Legal and practical definitions of what sexual harassment is--and not Whether and how to file a formal complaint Whether to hire a lawyer and what to expect from the legal process What retaliation is and how to fight it How to deal with the emotional stress, invasion of privacy, and career changes that often result from being sexually harassed This indispensable book sheds light on a difficult and little-understood problem.

Over the last few decades, research, activity, and funding has been devoted to improving the recruitment, retention, and advancement of women in the fields of science, engineering, and medicine. In recent years the diversity of those participating in these fields, particularly the participation of women, has improved and there are significantly more women entering careers and studying science, engineering, and medicine than ever before. However, as women increasingly enter these fields they face biases and barriers and it is not surprising that sexual harassment is one of these barriers. Over thirty years the incidence of sexual harassment in different industries has held steady, yet now more women are in the workforce and in academia, and in the fields of science, engineering, and medicine (as students and faculty) and so more women are experiencing sexual harassment as they work and learn. Over the last several years, revelations of the sexual harassment experienced by women in the workplace and in academic settings have raised urgent questions about the specific impact of this discriminatory behavior on women and the extent to which it is limiting their careers. Sexual Harassment of Women explores the influence of sexual harassment in academia on the career advancement of women in the scientific, technical, and medical workforce. This report reviews the research on the extent to which women in the fields of science, engineering, and medicine are victimized by sexual harassment and examines the existing information on the extent to which sexual harassment in academia negatively impacts the recruitment, retention, and advancement of women pursuing scientific, engineering, technical, and medical careers. It also identifies and analyzes the policies, strategies and practices that have been the most successful in preventing and addressing sexual harassment in these settings.

Judith Brandenburg describes how schools can confront sexual harassment within their own communities and how they can become models that educate students to deal with sexual harassment in the larger social setting. In addition to explaining the theoretical, psychosocial understanding of sexual harassment, she gives schools and colleges the bases to comply with the law quickly and effectively while developing long-term plans of action.