What is Sexual Harassment?
Sexual harassment is when someone carries out unwanted sexual behaviour towards another person that makes them feel upset, scared, offended, or humiliated. It is also when someone carries out this behaviour with the intention of making someone else feel that way. This means that it can still be sexual harassment even if the other person didn’t feel upset, scared, offended, or humiliated.
Common Misconceptions
“It was just banter”
“They didn’t tell me to stop”
“I only said it once”
“It was a compliment”
What Does It Look Like?
Sexual harassment includes a wide range of behaviours, such as:
- Sexual comments or noises
- Unwanted sexual advances or flirting
- Intrusive questions about a person’s private or sex life
- Sexual gestures
- Sexual ‘jokes’
- Sexual posts or contact on social media
- Sexual requests or asking for sexual favours
- Leering, staring, or suggestive looks
It also includes behaviours such as:
- Someone discussing their own sex life
- Taking a photo or video under another person’s clothing
- Stalking
- Displaying images of a sexual nature
- Indecent exposure
- Spreading sexual rumours
- Unwanted physical contact of a sexual nature
- Commenting on someone’s body, appearance, or what they’re wearing
- Standing intentionally close to someone
This unwanted sexual conduct can happen in person, on the phone, by text or email, or online. Both the harasser and the victim or survivor can be of any gender
Additional Resources
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The post What is Sexual Harassment? was created by First Light.
