Sexual Harassment

What is sexual harassment?

At its core sexual harassment is an abuse of authority and power.  It is a form of sexual discrimination that involves any deliberate or repeated sexual behavior that is unwelcomed as well as other sex-related behaviors that are hostile, offensive, or degrading.

Although women are more frequently the targets for sexual harassment, it is not uncommon for men to also be harassed.  In Fiscal Year 2008, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) received 13,867 charges of sexual harassment with 15.9% of those charges filed by males. (http://archive.eeoc.gov/types/sexual_harassment.html)

Sexual harassment may occur between peers or between people with unequal power in job or academic-related social interactions.

There are two types of sexual harassment:

Quid pro quo:  (this for that) unwelcome sexual advances and/or requests for sexual favors that are openly or implicitly suggested as a condition of continued employment, promotion, or education.  Only those with power to give or withhold an employment or educational benefit—those responsible for direct supervision or evaluation of employees or students—can engage in quid pro quo harassment.

Hostile environment: usually involves persistent, pervasive, unwelcome, and/or unwanted conduct of a sexual nature that has the effect of unreasonably interfering with an employee’s or student’s performance, or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive employment or work environment. 

Sexual harassment and hostile environment are determined by those affected, not the person or persons exhibiting the behaviors.  Also, it’s the impact of the behavior, not the intent, which determines whether the behavior is sexual harassment.

Survivor and harasser do not have to be of different genders; both can be men, both women, or they can be different genders.

The survivor does not have to be the person that is directly harassed. It can be anyone affected by the offensive conduct.

The harasser’s conduct must be unwelcome.