Sex and the Social Service Agency Cover-Up

What do you do when a client tells you that some of your staff members have been trading sexual favors and bragging about it? That is the question that too many social service agencies will have to have an answer for.

It is the worst kept secret that too many men take advantage of women in prisons, jails, juvenile halls, and homeless shelters. Of course, looking at some of the men, they might not be able to get better.

But, the response to this behavior is typically disbelief, and the "internal" investigation that will never lead anywhere. The facts are these places have more motivation to keep these incidents hidden instead of handing out consequences.

1. Money, that is the bottom line for any agency whether it is for profit or not. Allegations can destroy an agency, even if they turn out to be false.

2. Reputation, is next on the list. Without a good reputation the agency or business is gone. They can rarely rise above a bad one.

3. Gossip (internal): This is by far the worst because if someone knows the secrets you have no idea when they are going to play their cards.

Scenarios:

Workplace romance: One girl started out as a cashier and started dating her manager. Whenever he received a promotion, she got one as well. The gossip in the store was that she was screwing her way to the top. She could never live that down, even on the corporate level. As a result, there was always a level of disrespect from her employees and her peers.

Social Service Sexual Issues: One young man has dated his way through many women in a program. Actually, dated is the wrong wrong. He has taken sexual advantage of women in bad situations. The women don't tell, but they have ended up on the street believing they would be safer outside.

Because of the place these women hold in society (undesirables), their claims are often dismissed as mental illness or retaliation. The men who sexually abuse them know that, and have been able to take advantage without consequence.

Solution

Zero tolerance is the policy that should be enforced in social service situations. The red tape should disappear, and the door should be opened so that a woman feels safe enough to make her complaints of an unwanted advance.

An outside agency should have to do the investigation, since there is too much motivation to dismiss the charges as "unsubstantiated." That term is a unique catch all.

Most corporate organizations have a policy in place for employees or management towards each other, but the same cannot be said in high risk populations when staff are making unwanted advances toward teens and women.

Men who prey on desperate women may escalate to violence and the woman may be put in danger without proper safeguards.

Recent Cases

ABC reported on the arrest of a male nurse for raping a mentally ill woman
http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=local&id=5525825

Ohio Rape Statistics of Guard on Prisoner
http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2007/08/21/ddn082107rapeinside.html