What is the psycho-legal approach and why is it important?

The psycho-legal* approach to sexual harassment training,counseling or investigations,

emphasizes that the key to effective workplace interventions lies in training employees at all levels of the organization to understand the legal and psychological issues that surround sexual harassment. All too often sexual harassment training is limited to simply explaining the definitions of sexual harassment to employees. Organizations and trainers proceed based on the notion that once people understand the behaviors that constitute sexual harassment and its legal implications, they will no longer engage in this behavior. The psycho-legal approach takes training to the next step by demonstrating how the myriad of legal concerns surrounding sexual harassment are inextricably linked to the psychological and behavioral issues. When individual employees gain a psycho-legal understanding of sexual harassment we believe, there is a greater potential for maximal behavioral change in the organization.

What are some of the psychological aspects of this approach that help to prevent sexual harassment from occurring in the workplace?

1. Understanding individuals' motivations.
2. Understanding organizational dynamics.
3. Understanding the experiences of the victim of sexual harassment.
4. Understanding psychological principles to create change in attitude At the individual and organizational level.
5. The Process of recovery from Sexual Harassment
6. Strategies for communicating effectively and assertively.

* psycho-legal is a Service Mark of DTWS, Inc.

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