It is easy to get lost in statistics. Behind every number is a person struggling to make sense of what happened to them — often alone, often in silence. As the legal framework aims at redressal, it is worth asking: what does the survivor of sexual harassment actually go through? What are the psychological costs?

Costs to the survivor

Emotional responses to sexual harassment vary widely. The severity of the assault, an individual’s coping style, emotional vulnerability and the availability of social support all shape the impact. Survivors often experience long-term emotional effects including grief, anger, fear, guilt, shame, lowered self-esteem, self-blame, disrupted body image, sexual dysfunction and fractured relationships.

These responses are compounded by a sense of loss at multiple levels — a shrinking of social space, isolation, and the erosion of a secure sense of self. The safety nets that normally support coping begin to fail. It becomes an exceedingly lonely and painful struggle.

Employees who file complaints of sexual harassment often face negative responses from colleagues who minimise the event, breaches of confidentiality, demotion, transfer or dismissal. These experiences amount to re-victimisation by the very institutions meant to protect them.

Long-term emotional scarring

The psychological consequences of sexual harassment and gender-based discrimination can result in long-term emotional scarring. This arises from complex interactions between the survivor, the perpetrator, colleagues, supervisors and significant people in the survivor’s personal life — each capable of either supporting recovery or deepening harm.

Inability to articulate the experience

It takes enormous personal struggle to acknowledge — first to oneself — that a sexual assault has occurred. The stages of denial and self-blame, and sometimes even defending the perpetrator, reflect the difficulty of processing events that the body and mind are not ready to name. It is entirely natural for a survivor to not immediately recognise what happened as harassment or assault.

The body’s defence mechanisms can embed the experience for days, months or even years. Ongoing counselling support is essential to help survivors process trauma in a safe environment. Self-harm is a real risk, and close support from a trained mental health professional may be necessary.

When institutions fail to listen

The sensitivity — or lack of it — with which complaints are handled profoundly affects survivors. In practice, many investigations still conclude by praising the character of the accused rather than examining the act. The person becomes more important than the harm done.

Research has shown that survivors who feel supported by their supervisors are more likely to report incidents and cope effectively. However, reporting does not always resolve harassment. Weak complaint procedures have been directly linked to additional psychological harm and retaliation.

The way forward

Organisations that implement and follow through on prevention programmes see real results: improved productivity, stronger teams and a more positive working environment. For any policy to be effective, it must address the issue from both individual and organisational perspectives. Complaint procedures must be efficient, empathetic and prompt. Confidentiality and individual rights must be rigorously upheld. Fair and sensitive hearings that protect the dignity of all parties are not optional — they are the foundation of justice.

Civil society has a vital role to play in monitoring and creating spaces for dialogue — to ensure that every institution, particularly in the unorganised sector, becomes a space where women can work, thrive and grow without fear.