Gender issues

I’m a researcher who studies sex-based harassment, but that doesn’t make me immune to it. To the contrary, my expertise has drawn ire and derision from some of my male colleagues over the years, who have uttered offensive jokes or comments in my presence, as if to get me back for making them feel uncomfortable. Expertise gives you the resources to recognize what is happening and to not take it too personally. But it does not shield you from the entrapping nature of the behavior -- the risk of alienating the harasser and the network of people who rely upon, like, or admire him. Harassment comes in many shapes and forms: from jokes, comments, materials, or acts that undermine one's sense of dignity and safety in the workplace to unwanted sexual attention, touching, and coercive requests. Throughout my career most of these experiences have been one-off events with men who ceased when asked or could subsequently be avoided. But as many women experience in their professional lives, I ha