Monday

Sexual Harassment

What is Sexual Harassment?

  • Sexual comments or gestures that are unwanted and uninvited.
  • You have the right to tell someone to stop his or her action(s) when it is making you feel uncomfortable or threatened.
  • If you are sexually harassed, contact the hudson County Rape Crisis Center for options and support.

Sexual Harassment can take the form of:

  • touching or grabbing
  • being the target of sexual rumors
  • sexual comments about your body
  • being brushed up against in a sexual way
  • commentsa bout your gender
  • sexual remarks or suggestions
  • behaviors that you do not like or want
  • conversations that are too personal
  • pornographic pictures or stories (and people not meeting your requests to put those items away.)
  • unwelcomed whistles, gestures, or noises
  • dirty jokes
  • obscene gestures
  • verbal disrespect
  • offensive displays of sex-related objects
  • staring in a way that is too personal
  • "mooning" and "flashing"

How can sexual harassment affect you? Feelings and thoughts associated with the event:

  • confusion
  • guilt
  • helplessness
  • anger
  • fright
  • hopelessness
  • loneliness / isolation

Reactions:

  • not wanting to go to work/ school
  • not wanting to speak to others
  • finding it difficult to study/focus
  • thinking about leaving/transferring/quitting jobs
  • self-sabotaging
  • sleep disturbance
  • eating disorders

What to do if you are being harassed:

  • TAKE ACTION!
  • tell the harasser to stop
  • talk to someone who you think would understand your difficulty
  • report the offensive behavior to a teacher, counselor, supervisor.

If the harassment continues you can:

  • write a letter to the harasser asking them to stop and telling them what behaviors are offensive to you.
  • keep a journal of thoughts and feelings.
  • document how you tried to stop it, what happened, when and where it ocurred, and who saw it.
  • Follow your school's sexual harassment policy and procedures.

What can I do if I witness someone else being sexually harassed?

  • say that you don't think that it's amusing.
  • tell the person to stop harassing.
  • don't do or say tanything that will encourage the harasser.

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