Harassment has plagued the world for centuries. Why should the workplace be any different? Sexual harassment and violence in the workplace not only have historical roots, but contemporary issues are still present in the workforce today. Managers are addressing and combating modern sexual harassment and violence in the workplace, yet cases still occur (Robbins, Decenzo & Coulter, 2011). performance or work environment” (Robbins, Decenzo & Coulter, 2011). According to the EEOC, “harassment may include “sexual harassment” or unwanted sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical harassment of a sexual nature.” Sexual harassment is not limited to the employee/employer relationship, but can include clients or customers. Harassment does not have to be sexual in nature, but may include harassment related to one's gender generally (EEOC, n.d.). Sexual harassment can be traced back centuries. African American slavery in the United States is a prime example of situations that involved sexual harassment of workers by their superiors. African American women forced into slavery often gave in to sexual advances. Female employees in the late 19th and early 20th centuries were also often subjected to sexual harassment by their male superiors (Siegel, 2004). Publicly published articles and government hearings sparked interest in sexual harassment in the late 19th century. Interest in the issue of female sexual vulnerability during this time period led to the composition of several books that incorporated the context of the topic into their pages. Helen C......middle of paper......(nd). Violence at work, problems in response. Retrieved from website: http://www.fbi.gov/stats-services/publications/workplace-violence/workplace-violence/viewU.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2010). Summary of the census of fatal accidents at work. Retrieved from website: http://www.bls.gov/news.release/cfoi.nr0.htmU.S. Department of Labor, Labor and Security Administration. (n.d.). What is workplace violence. Retrieved from website: http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/workplaceviolence/US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), (n.d.). Sexual harassment. Retrieved from website: http://www.eeoc.gov/laws/types/sexual_harassment.cfmU.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, (2011). EEOC and FEPAS Sexual Harassment Charges Combined: Year 1997 - Year 2011. Retrieved from website: http://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/statistics