On Office Sexual Harassment

[kjarch1228]

I would not be judgemental of the actions of any woman being put into such a terrible circumstance. It's not something that anyone should have to put up with although many do. It takes strength to stay and it takes strength to leave.

[Supergirl1]

I have to agree with those who say it is neither a sign of weakness nor strength. It is hard to stick to the extremes with such issues. For females working in male-dominated fields, it is not easy for them to simply put their "foot down," especially when it might cause them to lose their careers. Angela worked very hard to get to where she is and I feel her patience with the situation is commendable. Either way, she is not in the wrong here, Dr. Scordato is. Let us not forget that.

I agree with your comment. In addition, strength is not just about putting your foot down every time; that’s rigidity. Strength is knowing how to make the best decisions in a bad situation and doing just that. I think the author was able to achieve that with Angela’s character.

[liftedbooks]

Whether she is weak or strong should not be a point of discussion. Why should her actions be judged when she is the victim? Clearly the offender is the one who should be under scrutiny. Angela did what most women would do in her position.

[Van112]

This is such a relevant question especially a lot of woman are still stuck behind their desks and are scared that they are going to lose their jobs if they do not satisfy their bosses. They have to keep their mouths shut just to keep their jobs. And it is hard for the protagonist to just set aside her career when she has gone a long way to achieve it.

[gen_g]

It's really difficult to simply slot it in under "strength" or "weakness", as many have mentioned. I would actually think that the first step to do before deciding on this issue is to raise awareness of the prevalence of sexual harassment - this is way more important. By making the topic of sexual harassment less of a taboo topic, victims would have more courage to step up, which is the start of the process towards eliminating this problem.

[Anon_Reviewer]

Whether she is weak or strong should not be a point of discussion. Why should her actions be judged when she is the victim? Clearly the offender is the one who should be under scrutiny. Angela did what most women would do in her position.

Thank you for pointing this out. It is common in our society for us to scrutinize the victim's actions more than those of the perpetrator. She shouldn't have had to deal with such advances in the workplace in the first place

[Roggyrus]

It is both. In such circumstances, sometimes you appear strong when showing your weakness. She should feign giving in just to keep her job. But she should not give in to surrender her dignity. She has just to give the impression that she is vulnerable, although keeping her grounds.

[NRoach]

Whether she is weak or strong should not be a point of discussion. Why should her actions be judged when she is the victim? Clearly the offender is the one who should be under scrutiny. Angela did what most women would do in her position.

This is genuinely the only appropriate response to this question.

[kfwilson6]

I would not be judgemental of the actions of any woman being put into such a terrible circumstance. It's not something that anyone should have to put up with although many do. It takes strength to stay and it takes strength to leave.

Well said. In this type of situation reaching out for help is smart, never weak. People have to protect themselves as best they can. Angela was pretty smart in attempting to balance not ticking Scordato off and not letting him make any headway. Unfortunately, I believe Alex saved her from what was about to turn into a dicey situation. I say unfortunately because I don't know what she would have done next. I don't think she was willing to report him.

[SPasciuti]

I think it’s thoroughly unfair to consider the idea that someone who has been forced into a situation where another can use their position of power to more or less destroy them whenever they so choose would be exhibiting weakness by choosing to save her career.

It’s one of those instances in which either option shows strength, just in different ways, and the measure of strength is not something that can be compared.

[bookowlie]

I found the author to be astute in her portrayal of sexual predators. The antics employed by Dr. Alberto Scordato to subdue his potential victim, Angela, were at times subtle such as alternating between putting her down and showing false concern; and at times his maneuvers were quite overt and physical. One thing's sure: none of it was lost on Angela. Understandably, it is not easy to ward off sexual harassment, especially if it's coming from a person who can make or break your career. Given her circumstances, do you think Angela's initial forbearance of Dr. Scordato's sexual advances to save her career is a measure of character weakness or strength?

I think Angela's reactions were written realistically. She was an intern and he was the head boss. As such, he could ruin her career even before it started. It was realistic that she fought him off and left only after he went too far in his advances.

[Sophy Chunge]

Angela dealt with the issue in the best way she thought possible at the time. I wouldn't call it a weakness on her part. It was more of a thoughtful perception of the matter. There were other factors affecting her behavior.

[Sophy Chunge]

I think it’s thoroughly unfair to consider the idea that someone who has been forced into a situation where another can use their position of power to more or less destroy them whenever they so choose would be exhibiting weakness by choosing to save her career.

It’s one of those instances in which either option shows strength, just in different ways, and the measure of strength is not something that can be compared.

Exactly

[DustinPBrown]

Whether she is weak or strong should not be a point of discussion. Why should her actions be judged when she is the victim? Clearly the offender is the one who should be under scrutiny. Angela did what most women would do in her position.

Thank you for pointing this out. It is common in our society for us to scrutinize the victim's actions more than those of the perpetrator. She shouldn't have had to deal with such advances in the workplace in the first place

Exactly. It doesn't matter if the victim fights back or not, they shouldn't be being victimized in the first place. No one asks why a mugging victim didn't fight back.

[bookowlie]

Whether she is weak or strong should not be a point of discussion. Why should her actions be judged when she is the victim? Clearly the offender is the one who should be under scrutiny. Angela did what most women would do in her position.

Thank you for pointing this out. It is common in our society for us to scrutinize the victim's actions more than those of the perpetrator. She shouldn't have had to deal with such advances in the workplace in the first place

Exactly. It doesn't matter if the victim fights back or not, they shouldn't be being victimized in the first place. No one asks why a mugging victim didn't fight back.

Very good analogy. When sexual harassment occurs in the workplace, the victim can be furthered victimized if they tell. They can be viewed as a "rat" or disloyal to the company.