Harassment is any unwanted behavior that you find offensive or that makes you feel intimidated or humiliated. Because of this broad definition harassment is complex, nuanced, and sometimes hard to identify.
Despite harassment being full of grey areas, you must know how to identify harassment so that you can protect yourself against it. Here are some common types of harassment and how to prevent them.
Sexual Harassment
Sexual harassment may be defined as unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical contacts of a sexual nature that creates a hostile, offensive, and uncomfortable environment for the victim.
Sexual harassment is a very serious matter which is not only illegal but can attract a jail sentence depending on State laws. For example, harassment in California, particularly in the workplace, is covered by the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). It is a criminal offense.
It’s not always easy to spot sexual harassment because there is a very wide range of activities that are expressions of sexuality or have sexual connotations in our society. So behavior that may appear relatively innocent (joking, innuendoes, flirting) can all amount to sexual harassment. Still, sexual harassment can be glaringly obvious (forced fondling, attempted rape, actual rape).
Since an alarming majority of sexual harassment happens in the workplace here are some tips on preventing sexual harassment in the workplace:
- Sexual harassment seminars and talks to make sure employees know exactly what constitutes sexual harassment because of the nuanced nature of it
- Routine reminders to employees about the company’s strict sexual harassment policies and the consequences of breaking them
- A simple effective route for filing complaints
Cyberbullying
Cyberbullying or online harassment is simply put, bullying using electronic means. As the digital world expands with apps and social media platforms, messaging apps, and other advancements, cyberbullying has become increasingly popular. Statistics show that the demographic most affected by cyberbullying is teenagers.
Online harassment includes spreading lies about someone online, posting embarrassing photos of someone on social media, sending hurtful messages or threats via messaging platforms, impersonating someone (catfishing) to the extent of sending mean messages to others from them, incessant prank calls, cyberstalking, and trolling.
Here are some ways to protect against cyberbullying:
- Password protect all social media platforms, apps, etc, with strong passwords
- Do not engage bullies. Instead, block them with the block feature that every platform has
- If the harasser’s identity is known to you report them through the appropriate channels
Workplace Harassment
Workplace harassment constitutes unwanted conduct that is based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability, or genetic information. Conduct in the workplace becomes unlawful harassment when enduring the offensive conduct becomes a condition of the employment, or when the conduct is severe or pervasive enough to create a work environment that is intimidating, hostile, humiliating, triggering, or abusive.
Examples of workplace harassment are offensive jokes, slurs, epithets or name-calling, physical assaults or threats of physical assault, intimidation, ridicule or mockery, insults or put-downs, offensive objects or pictures, unwarranted criticisms, and interference with work performance.
To prevent workplace harassment against you:
- Talk to your harasser in a semi-public place, making sure to outline your grievances in a calm amicable manner
- If the harassment persists, report to a superior or manager. However, if your harasser is upper-level management file a complaint with your Human Resources department
- HR may side with your tormentor, especially if they’re upper-level management. When this situation arises report to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for an impartial investigation
- Hire an experienced lawyer to explain your rights to you and represent your interest in case the matter escalates
Civil Harassment
Generally speaking, civil harassment is abuse, threats of abuse, stalking, sexual assault, or serious harassment by someone with who you have no close family relationship or romantic relationship either in the past or in the present. For example, neighbors, roommates, or platonic friends. Note that if it’s a family relationship it must be a close one. Abuse from an aunt, uncle, cousin, niece, nephew will be considered civil harassment. This distinction is made to differentiate it from domestic violence.
Civil harassment is harassment like assault, battery, and the threat of violence that is a reasonable cause for concern.
A way to prevent civil harassment is to get a restraining order against the offending party. Depending on your State, this requires:
- Filling out an application form plus other forms and documents by yourself or with the help of a lawyer
- Signing them yourself or having your lawyer sign them
- Then having your completed application filed in a court of competent jurisdiction.
Knowing the various types of harassment and how to prevent them will ensure that the risk of you experiencing a traumatic harassment experience is greatly reduced.
