Abstract
Sexual harassment came to general attention as a problem in Japan at the end of the 1980's. Ten years later, in 1999, a law that requires employers to establish a policy against sexual harassment was enacted as a part of an amendment to the Equal Employment Opportunities Law. Every workplace, including universities and colleges, now has a policy requiring that the office or campus be free from sexual harassment. If examined, however, the development and institutionalization of the sexual harassment regulation is problematic in several ways, especially on campus. Firstly, the policies at workplaces and universities tend to stereotype the harasser and harassee, and to make women more vulnerable to sexual harassment and discrimination. Secondly, the concept of sexual harassment is easily mixed up with that of sexual crime so as to obscure and cover up the distinct problem. Sexual harassment has been seen as problematic only for a decade in Japan, thus it is not surprising that related policies are not yet working efficiently. It is understandable, or it might seem reasonable, to stress the evilness of the harassment and harasser to seek quick remedies. However, stereotypical understanding of the problem would obstruct future development for not only sexual harassment policies but also for abolishing discrimination against women in society.
