What is sexual harassment?

Sexual Harassment is a violation of a person's civil and constitutional rights.  Sexual harassment can be physical, verbal, or non-verbal, including unwanted touching, comments about a person's body or offensive gestures.  Most sexual harassment falls into one of the categories below:

• Gender Harassment: Includes put-downs, sexual questions, remarks, gestures, looks, insults, offensive graffiti, or jokes about sex or gender.
• Seductive Behavior: Unwanted or offensive sexual advances
• Sexual Bribery: Solicitation of sexual activity or behavior by promising a reward (promotion, better grades) for the activity
• Sexual Coercion: Pressure for sexual activity or behavior by threats (withholding promotion, lower grades)
• Sexual Imposition: Includes unwanted touching such as patting, pinching, or "accidentally" brushing up against another person's body.

How do you know if it's sexual harassment?

If you feel uncomfortable or threatened as a result of the action, it's probably harassment, regardless of the intent of the harasser. Ways you can recognize sexual harassment:

• Sexual harassment is unwelcome. You feel uncomfortable with this type of attention.
• Sexual harassment leaves you feeling powerless. You fear you may risk your job by protesting the advances.
• Sexual Harassment interferes with productivity. You can't concentrate on your work, or you find yourself neglecting tasks while trying to avoid contact with a harasser.

What can be done to stop sexual harassment?

If you feel you are a victim of sexual harassment, try these steps to stop the harassment and to aid you if legal action becomes necessary.

• Be assertive
• Check with others
• Keep a diary
• Share this information
• Keep documentation of job evaluations
• Find an advocate

If it continues...

• File a complaint
• Seek a new job
• Take legal action

(Reference: "Sexual Harassment: How to Cope," Virginians Aligned Against Sexual Assault.)