Teen Sexual Harassment on the Job – NOW on PBS Investigation Airs February 20
February 18th, 2009 | Maria Hinojosa
Note: On Friday, February 20 at 8:30 pm (check local listings at pbs.org), NOW on PBS collaborates with the Schuster Institute for Investigative Journalism at Brandeis University to bring you a broadcast investigation of teen sexual harassment in the workplace. Reporter Maria Hinojosa talks below about the experience of her investigation.
I always talk about the stories I’m working on with people I meet along the way: cab drivers, waitresses, hotel maids, TSA agents, family and girlfriends. Their response typically ranges from casually interested to intensely curious. But the response to my latest NOW report—about sexual harassment of teenage girls in the workplace—has been like no other.
Nearly every woman I’ve spoken to instantly replies “that happened to me” or “that happened to a friend of mine.”
While sexual harassment is something many American women experience in the workplace, it goes mostly unreported. We hear stories about protecting our kids from sexual predators on the Internet and teach our daughters and sons to be wary of strangers. There are programs in high schools that deal with bullies, and programs that deal with sexual harassment in school. Yet, there’s never been a national conversation about sexual harassment of teen girls on the job.
The five girls I spoke with were 16 at the time they were sexually harassed at work. It was their very first job. Remember your first job? A first job is all about independence, freedom, and moving away from childhood. It’s a rite of passage that helps our kids learn the value of work and money.
But for these young workers, it turned into something else, something very upsetting. These teenage girls had no idea about acceptable and unacceptable workplace behavior, much less their legal protections. How could they? Who would have told them? Employers don’t want to spend money training transient part-time workers. And workplace rules aren’t really taught in high school.
Meeting these brave young women—who chose to tell their stories on national television for the first time—was a moment I will not soon forget. Their trauma was real, and reflected as much in their faces as in their words. When these girls shed tears about what it was like to be groped and followed and threatened by their first boss, to have their shirts ripped or be forced to look at pornography, I felt more than sympathy. In fact, it brought up an emotion I didn’t expect: pride. Through their actions, these young women were patriots.
Even though these young women were thoroughly embarrassed and afraid, they found the strength and courage to take their abusers to court. These young American teens understood that one of their basic rights is to try to right a wrong through our system of laws. Starting from a position of powerlessness, these young women eventually came to own their own power and exercise it. It’s a lesson I will share with my own 13- year-old son and my ten-year-old daughter, because I never want this to happen to them.
I will watch this show together with my children, and encourage you to do the same with your children and grandchildren.
I am proud of this show, and as much so, proud of these women. With this important investigation, NOW on PBS launches the first ever beat of its kind on a network magazine show, covering women, girls and families involved in issues that affect and should concern us all. And it’s about time. We call the series “Life Now.”
About the Author: Award-winning journalist and author Maria Hinojosa is managing editor and host of Latino USA. In addition to hosting each week’s show, Hinojosa is the senior correspondent for the Emmy Award -winning PBS newsmagazine NOW. Before joining NOW, Hinojosa was the urban affairs correspondent for CNN. Prior to joining CNN, Hinojosa spent six years as a New York-based correspondent for NPR.
NOTE: A special preview excerpt of the report can be viewed here. The NOW on PBS website will broadcast the show in its entirety, for free, starting Monday, February 23 at www.nowonpbs.org. This is the first report in a new NOW on PBS beat on women and men in the twenty-first century called “Life Now.”
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Tags: Maria Hinojosa, PBS
February 26th, 2009 at 5:23 pm
That is totally disgusting. What a horrible thing to happen to young people on their first job(concerning the topic of harrassment). I think schools should educate young people about their rights more other than just ammendments in history classes, and tighter laws concerning minors working in the work-force. I also think it is the responsibility of the parents to closely screen what jobs their teens are applying too as well, and that jobs are required to hand a written law-book concerning their rights and the jobs policies to minors.
April 17th, 2009 at 1:03 am
If you’re slightly familiar with my blog, you know that I’m currently involved in a sexual harassment legal nightmare: the second day after meeting my new boss at my new job, the married SOB grabbed me, kissed my neck, and propositioned me three times! I notified the CEO and human resources. Nothing was done. I needed to be hospitalized, to take anti-anxiety/anti-depression medication—most recently, my job threatened to have me arrested for theft because I didn’t return their laptop as quickly as they wanted. Now, my lawyer is fighting with their lawyer (and I am finding out, painfully, that the law is very weak to protect/help victims of sexual harassment/discrimination. In fact, the law goes out of its way to protect small companies like mine from being sued for sexual harassment!).
Anyway, since this nightmare has consumed my life for the past several months and will likely consume my life, time, and attention for the next several months, I figured I might as well try to make something positive come out of all of this.
WHO AM I?
Despite my “CrazySexyMetalChick!” moniker, I’m actually an honest to goodness writer/scholar:
I have a B.A. in Professional Writing from Penn State, Summa Cum Laude, 2008.
I received the Penn State Professional Writing Program Achievement Award, 2008.
I was a news writer and copy editor for the Penn State Collegian.
I was published in New York Newsday at age 12.
THE PROJECT
By the end of this year, I should receive my M.A. in Liberal Studies from Stony Brook (I’d like to go onto the Ph.D. after that). However, I must complete a research paper/project. For my project, I’m considering a study of individuals’ experiences with sexual harassment, company policies regarding sexual harassment (both written policy and what is actually done—often two very different things!), the application of the law, the inefficiency of current laws, the differing verbal/nonverbal communication styles of men and women in the workplace and how this can lead to sexual harassment, etc.
I’d like to collect and examine stories of sexual harassment from women (and men), preferably current situations or situations which have occurred within the last 5 years.
WHY SHOULD YOU BOTHER TO HELP ME?
1. I’m a Humanities/Social Sciences grad student. Everyone knows that such academic pursuits are strictly labors of love and as such, students in these pursuits deserve to be pitied and helped. Besides, maybe I can get my research paper published (not for profit, of course), and we all have an obligation to help push knowledge forward.
2. Sharing your story would likely be cathartic for you as well as for me.
I’ll likely be collecting stories until 9/2009 or 10/2009, since my paper will be due 12/2009. If you think you have a story you’d like to share with me, please email me: agirlandherjob@gmail.com
Thanks! Love yas!
April 17th, 2011 at 8:32 pm
Who am I? Am I you? I am a victim of sexual harassment (unwanted touching) the day I spoke up the postal management retaliated against me. I suffer from post traumatic stress disorder. I was fired for 2 years for speaking up about sexual harassment and the ongoing retaliation. The union did abosolutely nothing. The union local are made up of mainly men. 2years without any income at all not even unemployment the postal service even stepped in and denied me unemployment. June 28,2007 I was set up by the postal service. They called the police on me for not signing a document a document. My story is long and sad. Eventually the union sends me a letter about an abitration and getting my job back. The union advocate calls me and says your not getting an abitration. I said Why not? This advocate starts saying if you go to abitration the post office management is going to fire you.The union advocate was going out of his way to denie me a right to be heard. He (the union advocate) went as far as to yell at me “Just go back to work! I beg the advocate please dont put me on the same tour as the man who violated me.Please allow me to be heard at the abitration. The union advocate Jeff Kehlert yelled This is my decision just go back to work. To try and make this story short is impossible. The union made a back door deal with management and took my backpay and did not help me at all with being separated from the man that violated me. I fought to be changed to another tour. I still spend my days trying to avoid that man who violated me. I also am losing my home because I never recieved my back pay. Also please note just before I had to return back to work. I spoke to Mr. Jeff the union adovocate. Mr. Jeff union advocate said I met the man (who violated me) he seems like a nice guy. My point is unions do not no how to represent woman. How many other woman have gotten ripped off for there back pay? I am pro union but not for women. Please let me not forget eeoc they did absolutely nothing. Where are the investigating reporting on the unions and eeoc that take taxpayers money for doing nothing. If you need evidence I have it all. I did report the union to the Labor Relations but it was to late under the statue of limitations. All I want is the truth to be told. Because of downsizing I now cant afford to be transfered. I have always been a good worker but the postal management doesnt care its one big good ole boys club from the management to the union.
August 8th, 2011 at 5:56 pm
I like how you wrote this. You have made your points with unique thoughts and content. Your points are so clear and concise your readers can determine what they agree with and what they don’t.