How to Recognize Sexual Harassment

While the boundaries of what constitutes sexual harassment have been strictly defined over the last few years, questions remain about what is and isn't sexual harassment. By familiarizing yourself with both the legal definitions concerning sexual harassment and how companies enforce policies, you will be able to recognize sexual harassment when it occurs.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Recognize verbal sexual harassment in the workplace, which can take the form of offensive or profane language, or sexually inappropriate comments and suggestions. This may include telling dirty jokes or making lewd or obscene suggestions to co-workers.
2. Identify some of the non-verbal forms of sexual harassment, which may be more subtle in nature. These physical actions may include blocking the passage of a co-worker with your body, staring or leering at someone else's body, leaning forward over another co-worker while he or she is sitting down or making any gesture or motion that can be construed as sexually suggestive or profane.
3. Pay attention to direct physical contact that can be taken as sexual harassment. This includes unwanted touching or fondling, rubbing up against someone, giving inappropriate shoulder massages or outright sexual advances.
4. Learn about quid pro quo (Latin for "this for that") sexual harassment, which is the exchange of promotions or advantages in the workplace for sexual favors. Repeatedly asking a coworker out on a date despite rejections can fall under this form of harassment. This is one of the most common forms of sexual harassment in the workplace and the first type of sexual harassment to be successfully prosecuted in the judicial system.
5. Understand the concept of a hostile environment, wherein a person can feel sexually harassed if they are made to feel uncomfortable or threatened while doing their job. You can recognize a hostile work environment by sexually suggestive calendars and posters or by the posting of obscene cartoons or jokes on bulletin boards. A hostile work environment can also be any workplace where an individual may feel ostracized for "not joining in" when it comes to engaging in offensive or lewd behavior.

Tips & Warnings

• While nearly 90 percent of all sexual harassment cases in the United States are reported by females against male supervisors, the number of incidences of men making sexual harassment claims against both male and female supervisors increases each year.
• Threatening to fire or retaliate against someone if they report a case of sexual harassment is considered further sexual harassment in and of itself.