What Is Sexual Harassment?
Sexual harassment is unwanted and unwelcome words, conduct, or behaviour of a sexual nature that has the purpose or effect of creating an intimidating, embarrassing, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for the recipient. It is a misuse of personal or institutional power and often based on a person’s gender, although it is rarely about sexual desire.
Whether or not the harasser intended to be offensive is irrelevant. The limit of acceptable behaviour is up to the recipient to decide. A single incident or persistent behaviour can amount to harassment.
Examples of Sexual Harassment
- Catcalling
- Following
- Making unnecessary and unwanted physical contact
- Sexual jokes and comments
- Giving unwelcome personal gifts
- Wolf-whistling
- Leering
- Derogatory comments
- Unwelcome comments about a person’s body or clothing
- Asking unwelcome questions about a person’s sex life and/or sexuality
- engaging in unwelcome sexual propositions
- Invitations and flirtation
- Making somebody feel uncomfortable through displaying or sharing sexual material
Sexual harassment does not necessarily occur face-to-face – it can be in the form of emails, visual images (such as sexually explicit pictures on walls in a shared environment), social media, phone, text messages, and image-based sexual abuse such as revenge porn and upskirting.
Sexual harassment is a criminal offence and contrary to Student Conduct Regulations and Procedures.