Alexis La Rosa-Joe

English 102

Dr. Marianne Arini

March 28, 2020

Final Draft/Prelude for Researched Interview Podcast/YouTube Video and Transcript

For this assignment, I used a descriptive research method. I discovered different scenarios

when exploring my topic. I ran into some great articles that shared several perspectives, results

of trauma and a lot of misconceptions around sexual harassment. Some things I found were:

people sharing their feelings after events of personal events, witnessing events and also

discussing the topic with others. Another great eyeopener was watching other interviews

conducted on sexual harassment victims. The interviews varied in gender and overall, the

questions were all similar. I also asked people close to me their opinions on common events in

the media surrounding sexual harassment. This helped me to better understand the variety of

opinions there are and why it is people have certain opinions. I noticed a commonality amongst

men while asking around and researching this topic. A lot of times men play down the effects

brought on by sexual assault if they happen to be the victim. While women retain the opposite.

This is not always the case just an observation of mine based on this research performed. The

definition of sexual harassment was listed on most pages I read up on. One thing that stood out to

me was the mentioning of the impact the event has on the victim is what ultimately defines an

event as sexual harassment.

 Anna Santiago is a friend of mine who has shared some of her experiences around sexual

harassment with me. She works in the food and beverage industry and encounters different

people a lot and has general people skills. I decided to choose her because she is fairly open and

level headed.

Alexis: I’m Alexis I’m here with Anna Santiago and we are gonna be discussing sexual

harassment. Hi Anna

Anna: Hi Alexis how are you?

Alexis: Good, so we are gonna start with some questions. What do you do for work?

Anna: I am A bartender

Alexis: So how are the interactions with people at work?

Anna: Well it all depends, um of course since I’m in the industry where alcohol becomes a

determination of how people act it just differentiates but for the most part it’s ok, you just have

to um observe people carefully and be careful of the amounts of alcohol you do give.

Alexis: Ok, so I’m going to read you a definition I’ts on sexual harassment; unwanted behavior

of sexual nature which violates your boundaries, makes you feel uncomfortable, degraded or

humiliated and creates a hostile environment. It is about how you feel rather than the intention of

the harasser. Do you think this definition is concise?

Anna: I do believe that that definition is concise because I’m not sure completely but I feel like

sometimes because I have been sexually harassed in a workplace um it’s actually pretty common

that sometimes the harasser is not sure how they're making the harassee feel, possibly. And um
also at times it can be very intrusive and um the best thing that you can do is learn how to um

just basically figure out a way to divert it before it becomes anything unnecessary, extra

unnecessary.

Alexis: Thank you so um, would you mind giving us an example of an experience you’ve had

with sexual harassment?

Anna: No I wouldn’t mind. So there’s, for me and my workplace there are 2 different kinds that

I’ve experienced personally. There’s verbal, sexual harassment, that’s kinda just where people

will in a sense give you a compliment but it’s borderline obscene. So um you know that can be

intrusive verbally. There are also things that my job duty includes such as cleaning where I will

um I will be cleaning a table, for example, clearing some, sometimes we have food, etc. or not

just-drinks. Cleaning a table and someone could um brush up on me very close, too close in my

personal space that’s physically intrusive in my opinion and um yeah that’s happened.

Alexis: Ok, How do you feel like this has impacted you?

Anna: I feel like it's impacted me um, maybe in a negative way to where um I don’t like it. I

guess I could just say I don’t like it. Its, that’s impacted me in a negatively, but also positively

because you learn how to deal with different scenarios that come across in the workplace and in

life in general in sexual harassment experiences.

Alexis: Great, have you ever witnessed someone else being sexually harassed?

Anna: Yes I have

Alexis: Ya?

Anna: Yes
Alexis: What did that um, what did that seem like?

Anna: What was, what happened to that person?

Alexis: Ya, what exactly

Anna: I saw a coworker of mine and um we were working together and she actually got um

touched like her bottom was caressed. That’s not a good word caressed, her bottom was touched

Alexis: Ok

Anna: By a customer where we were at, and that customer was immediately removed from the

premises.

Alexis: Ok, how often do you hear stories of sexual harassment?

Anna: It’s very common.

Alexis: Ok, Do you think people should speak up more about their experiences surrounding

sexual harassment?

Anna: I do

Alexis: Yes?

Anna: I do, yes

Alexis: Ok, do you think people feel unable to speak out surrounding their experiences?

Anna: I feel like sometimes it’s a very thin line that you walk between did I do something to

provoke this, I felt like that myself sometimes and then is this just completely inappropriate

because you still have to be a social being, you have to be a social creature. No matter what

environment you’re in you still have to talk to people. You still, you cant when it comes to
customer service or hospitality whatever scenario it is you cant ignore people. So if somebody

verbally says something to you if its inappropriate or not I think that yeah its just you know how

you react.

Alexis: Ok, Do you think that if or when a victim speaks up about their experiences the audience

will focus on the victims physical appearances and steer accusations one way or another?

Anna: I feel like yes, it can be very bias. I feel like um dependent on the individuals maybe um

gender possibly um and then again maybe not just the opinion of the person. I feel like to me its

non-negotiable I don’t think that it should be any its something is either appropriate or its not and

I feel like it should be known that’s why I feel like people should talk about it more. There

should be more standards, it should be more exposed.

Alexis: Regardless of how the victim is dressed, whether it be covered up or not covered up at all

you still feel like it just doesn’t matter they need to know the difference between appropriate and

not.

Anna: I think that definitely, it doesn’t matter

Alexis: Have you heard of any stereotypes surrounding victims of sexual harassment?

Anna: Stereotypes like um stereotypical, I don’t know

Alexis: Like a girl dressing slutty, of course, she's gonna get harrassed

Anna: Yes, I have had that happen to me. I’ve been in my workplace and um this was I endured

some sexual harassment um of a man disrespecting me speaking to me vulgar and um I had

someone else there at the time who actually said to the other person “that’s inappropriate” but
when the person who harassed me left they said “ maybe that wouldn’t have happened if you

dressed differently. So that shows you both ends of the spectrum.

Alexis: Wow, ok. Do you think that a supportive background helps with the initiative of coming

forward with information/incidences

Anna: Yes! I think that if you have a supportive background for anything in life it helps.

Alexis: Ya ok. Do you notice people shaming victims when discussing sexual assault?

Even if it’s not directly related to them just while expressing opinions, around the topic.

Anna: Yes I feel like its very scattered and there’s lots of different opinions and I feel like its

very important to put yourself in that persons shoes to listen to them fully and whole heartily and

um try to experience possibly what their saying to fully understand because some people might

have no idea what we’re talking about right now.

Alexis: Right

Anna: And um that’s basically it

Alexis: Ok, thank you so much that was the last question and we’re finished now

Anna: Alright great

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