What is sexual harassment?

Sexual harassment has strict legal definitions that pertain to primarily work situations where the harasser is in a position of power over the harassee, who feels they have no other choice than put up with sexually offensive behavior or lose their job. The behavior could include anything from a casual arm around the shoulder to frank solicitation. The response from Boston Women's is excellent. Further to that, sexual harassment is not just a women's issue. Most frequently it is and women are more likely to see themselves as powerless to resolve the problem. Men can also be the harassee as more women are promoted beyond the glass ceiling and find themselves in positions of influence over men. They may feel that aping men's behavior, including the unacceptable, is all part of the package. More comprehensively, in non-work related situations, women can be sexually aggressive in unwanted ways and men should feel comfortable in resolving the issue. 

When you are being harassed, in my opinion, the first step is to privately identify your discomfort to the offender and ask them to stop. If the obnoxious behavior is a lack of awareness only, that may be enough to end it. Keep personal written notes of the discussion and the response in case it continues or gets worse. The documentation may seem like overkill but if you have to turn to an outside party for assistance, you are better to have notes than just your memory on your side.

Sexual harassment is unwanted sexual attention. It includes leering, pinching, patting, repeated comments, subtle suggestions of a sexual nature, pornography in the workplace, and pressure for dates. Sexual harassment is not limited to the workplace or school. It occurs in doctors with patients, welfare workers with clients, and police officers with the public. Sexual harassment involves the abuse of power. In addition to men harassing women, women can harass other women, and men can be harassed by other men or by women. Because sexual harassment can escalate, people who are sexually harassed are at risk of being physically abused or raped.

In the workplace, women may experience a direct or implied threat; such as "Have sex with me or you will be fired"(called quid pro quo). A hostile work environment can interfere with your ability to do your job, whether the harasser is an employer, a supervisor, a coworker, a client, or a customer.

Socializing at work often includes flirting or joking about sex. Although it may be a pleasant relief from routine or a way to communicate with someone you are interested in, this banter can turn insulting or demeaning. It becomes sexual harassment when it creates a hostile, intimidating, or uncomfortable working environment. Refusal to comply with the harasser's demands may lead to reprisals, which can include escalation of harassment; poor work assignments; sabotaging of projects; denial of raises, benefits, or promotion; and the loss of the job with only a poor reference. Harassment can drive women out of a job or the workplace altogether. Poor women, immigrant women, older women, and teenagers are especially vulnerable to sexual harassment because of difficulty in finding other employment.

Find out more about this book: Our Bodies, Ourselves: A New Edition for a New Era

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