Sexual Harassment

School Library Journal

Gr 6 Up-An objective overview of a volatile issue. The book swiftly covers the history of harassment from its movement into the public eye in the early 1970s and roots of legal protection in the Civil Rights Act of 1964, to the involvement of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and current decisions regarding same-sex harassment. Neatly subdivided topical chapters address harassment in the workplace, educational institutions, and in the military. Significant case law is incorporated and summarized in each section. The text is broken up with apropos cartoons, indifferent black-and-white photographs, and helpful statistical charts. McGowan does a steady job of defining and differentiating complex and weighted terms, leaving readers with a clear sense of concepts such as hostile environment and unwelcome sexual conduct. Sources consulted are current and authoritative, and include recent studies from the Department of Defense, the EEOC, and American Association of University Women surveys, among others. A list of contact organizations offers avenues for further information. Quick, basic, informative, and detailed enough without being overwhelming, this slim volume provides readers with a foundational understanding of both the history and contemporary treatment of sexual harassment.-Jennifer A. Fakolt, Denver Public Library