How to Stave off Sexual Predators?
If you have to deal with someone who makes you uncomfortable at work, these are some of the points that the Vara Saripalli, Psy.D. & Courtney Telloian posted on PscyCentral website:
Address the person directly
If it’s safe to do so, you can tell the person that their attention, comment, or “joke” was unwelcome or hurtful. How they respond can help you decide whether you want to take additional steps.
Report it
If you weren’t able to resolve the problem with the person directly, or if it wasn’t safe to, reporting the incident according to your workplace policy is another option. This could include involving human resources or your supervisor.
Contact law enforcement
If a co-worker has been endangering your safety through stalking or sexual assault, it’s often a good idea to involve your local authorities. This can depend on the level of trust and safety you have with your local law enforcement. Another option is to have a trustworthy support person contact them for you and stay by your side throughout the process.
Document the incident
While you would ideally be taken seriously when reporting sexual harassment, sometimes having proof does help your case. Consider if it’s a good idea in your situation to gather what proof you can of the incident before you report it.
Depending on your own needs and the specifics of your situation, some of these actions might be more or less appropriate. Regardless of what happened, ensuring your safety from the time the harassment happens onward is the highest priority. You can read more about this topic on their website here.
It will also be a good idea if you were to brush up on applicable Laws (Policies & Procedures), Trust your Instincts, Be Mindful of Your Surroundings, Set Boundaries, get good quality witnesses, in case you are planning to proceed legally, you should ensure that you have some good quality witnesses and strong proof of various incidents.
