Knowra Sexual harassment Sexual harassment Sexual harassment is unwelcome sexual conduct that creates a hostile environment or affects employment or educational opportunities. Its legal definitions and remedies vary by jurisdiction and setting.
Unwelcome conduct : Behavior that is unwanted by the person subjected to it, assessed in context rather than solely by the actor’s intent. Whether sexual conduct is unwelcome is central to identifying harassment.
Power harassment : Abuse of workplace or institutional authority that intimidates, humiliates, or obstructs another person. Authority over hiring, grading, or advancement can magnify the leverage behind sexual demands.
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 : A United States federal law prohibiting employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin. Title VII is a principal federal route for workplace harassment claims in the United States.
Trauma-informed care : An approach to services that recognizes trauma’s effects and emphasizes safety, choice, collaboration, and trust. It can guide support for people disclosing harassment without repeating coercive dynamics.
Hostile work environment : A workplace made intimidating, offensive, or abusive by discriminatory conduct sufficiently serious or pervasive under applicable law. This is a common way sexual harassment alters working conditions.
Retaliation : Punishment or adverse treatment imposed because someone engaged in legally protected activity. Threats or penalties for reporting harassment can create a separate violation.
Title IX : A United States federal law barring sex discrimination in education programs or activities receiving federal financial assistance. Title IX governs institutional duties concerning sex-based harassment in covered education settings.
Workplace bullying : Repeated workplace mistreatment that humiliates or undermines a person, whether or not it is tied to a protected trait. Bullying may overlap with harassment, but sexual harassment involves sexual conduct or sex-based discrimination.
Quid pro quo : An exchange in which a benefit or detriment is conditioned on another person’s compliance or performance. Harassment can involve conditioning work or educational benefits on sexual cooperation.
Bystander intervention : Actions by witnesses that interrupt harmful behavior, support affected people, or seek appropriate assistance. Witnesses can disrupt conduct and help preserve routes to support.
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