How to Deal with Sexual Harassment and Fawning
Have you heard of the concept of fawning? This is an emotional response to being sexually harassed. Knowing how to deal effectively with sexual harassment and fawning is vital if you want to retain valued employees. In this article, we look at the concept of fawning and how managers can approach sexual harassment in the workplace.
“Women who are victims of harassment are more than likely to leave the organisation within 18 months”
Acas
What is fawning?
Fawning is an emotional response that occurs when someone finds themselves in a situation where they are feeling sexually harassed. It is where the person tries to placate the perpetrator in a bid to stop them from causing any harm. To ‘fawn’ is one of the four fear responses, such as fight, flight and freeze, which triggers our sympathetic nervous system.
When someone fawns, they are attempting to appease an abuser in a ‘people-pleasing’ manner. It’s a common yet complex fear response, used as a survival mechanism to avoid conflict or an assault. When people are trapped in long-term abusive situations, fawning can lead to a reliance on the abuser, known as a ‘trauma bond’. Linked to gaslighting and coercive abuse, victims may become trapped in an abusive cycle of behaviour.
Some examples of fawning include:
Difficulty in saying ‘no’ to keep others happy or making decisions based on other people’s needs.
Making decisions without indicating their own preferences or holding themselves accountable for other’s behaviour.
Difficulty in setting healthy relationship boundaries and maintaining these.
The problem with fawning is that to others it may appear that the victim is allowing or even encouraging the behaviour. It can also cause confusion to the perpetrator who mistakes this as a positive response to their behaviour. As a result, fawning can lead to further incidents of sexual harassment.
It’s important to stress that fawning is a stress response, and managers need to be able to recognise the signs.
What’s deemed as sexual harassment?
Below are a few signs to be aware of when it comes to sexual harassment in the workplace:
Sexual remarks and flirting
This could apply to remarks made about someone’s appearance in a flirtatious way that makes the person feel uncomfortable.Questioning someone’s sex life
For example, when one colleague makes intrusive comments about someone’s relationship status or sexual preferences.Any behaviour of a sexual nature
This includes telling jokes that are sexually offensive, inappropriate or unwanted ‘banter’.Touching someone without their consent
In the worst cases, this includes sexual assault and rape, but this can also include when someone hugs another person against their will. It’s all about consent.
What one person finds acceptable or a funny joke, another person will not. A person not directly involved in the harassment, can still feel offended and raise a claim of harassment.
The new Worker Protection Act
The new Worker Protection Act comes into force in October 2024. This act will make employers responsible for taking reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment of their employees. Although this is a significant step in the right direction, there is much more that needs to be taken into consideration in dealing with such matters.
Due to the legislation coming into force later this year, it’s crucial that companies consider sexual harassment in the workplace. It’s also important that businesses have the right policies and processes in place to respond to such matters. All too often organisations large and small fail to take the right response, which often results in costly employment tribunals.
HR advice on sexual harassment
Knowing how to deal with sexual harassment in the workplace is always a sensitive matter. Despite having good intentions, managers might inadvertently respond to such issues in the wrong way. Using the right verbal cues and body language are important if you suspect a colleague is being sexually harassed.
If a colleague does appear to be fawning, this could be a sign they may be a victim of sexual harassment. As a result, they may feel isolated and confused. Therefore, it’s important to make sure they feel comfortable and able to approach line managers with their concerns.
Be respectful, be vigilant when it comes to spotting the signs and take action when necessary. Always encourage employees to report incidents. Employees need to feel they have a voice, and that they will be heard. As an example, employers could consider running awareness campaigns to encourage open dialogue on this topic.
At Invictus HR, we work closely with our clients to advise on sensitive employee issues. We have experience in advising on sexual harassment matters. As well as reviewing and updating your policies, we can also provide you with a cost-effective retained HR service.
For HR advice on sexual harassment or another matter, please get in touch.
Sources:
https://www.acas.org.uk/sexual-harassment-in-the-workplace-will-2024-be-the-year-things-change
https://www.acas.org.uk/sexual-harassment
https://www.verywellmind.com/fawning-fear-response-7377238
https://rctn.org.uk/sexual-violence/trauma-responses/
https://www.cipd.org/uk/knowledge/guides/sexual-harassment-work/