NCJ Number
133438
Journal
American Jails Volume: 5 Issue: 5 Dated: (November-December 1991) Pages: 15-17
Date Published
1991
Length
3 pages
Annotation
A survey of 799 county government employees in the Pacific Northwest was used to assess the incidence of sexual harassment in local government protective service agencies and to examine the relationship between support affirmative action and sexual harassment.
Abstract
The findings indicate that criminal justice units overall have a slightly higher rate of employee perceptions of sexual harassment compared to the entire county government work force. However, the rate of perceived sexual harassment is very high in the Sheriff's Department and below average in the Jail Unit. The difference may be explained by the support for affirmative action by the Jail Unit administrator and the use of written rules and procedures regarding employee interactions. There was also less support for affirmative action among Sheriff's Department employees than among jail workers which could result in a more hostile work environment for women. Sexual harassment problems can be prevented by establishing clear policies; updating procedures, selection criteria, and performance evaluations; enhancing supervisory monitoring; providing training on civil rights employment issues; and establishing role modeling behavior. 2 tables and 8 notes