Aggressive and controlling cultures of masculinity as a driver of workplace sexual harassment

Aggressive and controlling cultures of masculinity as a driver of workplace sexual harassment

Gendered violence is an umbrella term referring to physical and non-physical violence that affects a person because of their gender, or disproportionately affects people of a particular gender. This violence can be physical, but it can also be sexual, mental, psychological, and/or economic.

Change the story: A shared framework for the primary prevention of violence against women in Australia highlights four key expressions of gender inequality which consistently predict higher rates of gendered violence:

• Condoning of gendered violence;
• Men’s control of decision-making and limits to women’s independence;
• Rigid gender stereotyping; and
• Cultures of masculinity that emphasise aggression, dominance and control.

In this blog series, we’re exploring the ways in which these gendered drivers of violence manifest in workplaces, predicting higher rates of sexual harassment – a common form of gendered violence which most often impacts women and gender-diverse people. In this article we’ll be looking specifically at how cultures of masculinity that emphasise aggression, dominance, and control, drive workplace sexual harassment.

What is it?

Male peer relations that emphasise aggression and disrespect towards women and gender-diverse people drive higher rates of gendered violence. When men and boys bond by proving their masculinity by sexist or disrespectful behaviour, and this is normalised, gendered violence is used, excused, and even supported.

What does it look like?

Workplaces with cultures of masculinity that emphasise aggression, dominance and control are ones in which workers might…

• Normalise and engage in ‘locker room talk’, particularly in male-dominated workplaces, like objectifying comments about other people’s appearance or invasive personal or sexual questions;

• Share graphic, detailed information about their sexual experiences;

• Hazing initiations for apprentices and junior employees, particularly rituals which encourage disrespect towards women and gender-diverse people (in the Australian legal profession, for example, graduate women workers describe being ‘tested’ by a task of reviewing extreme pornography);

• Use aggressive or bullying language towards colleagues; and/or

• Be incentivised or required to be overly competitive or work long hours to highlight their strength and commitment to their organisation.

How can challenging this driver prevent sexual harassment?

An estimated 45% of people who work in male-dominated workplaces engage in tech-based workplace sexual harassment, compared to just 16% of people in workplaces with mostly women.

By working to build and strengthen positive, respectful relationships between men and boys, and calling into question bonding practices that encourage aggression or misogyny, we also promote respect, support for and valuing of women and gender-diverse people – in the workplace, and the wider community.

What can I do?

Calling out aggressive, dominant and controlling behaviour can be an effective strategy, but it can also (depending on the situation) be unsafe.

Your safety is important, so it’s important to be aware of the possibility of, and adequately prepare for, backlash. Safe and Equal’s Overcoming Resistance and Backlash Guide, though designed for people working in the prevention space, offers useful tips to engaging safely to effectively challenge difficult behaviour and promote social change.

You could also sign up for training to build practical skills in being an active bystander.

If you’re interested in reading more about the gendered drivers of violence, click here to read the previous blog in our series.

For more information on workplace sexual harassment, visit our Workplace Respect Project resource hub.