What is sexual harassment?Sexual harassment is unwanted sexual actions or behaviour by individuals or groups which violates a person’s dignity and creates an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment. Sexual harassment can be a single incident, or a string of persistent behaviour. You don't need to have objected to a certain kind of behaviour in the past for it to be unwanted and constitute harassment.
It is contrary to the Equality Act 2010 and the University Harassment Policy.
Sexual harassment:
- violates your dignity
- makes you feel intimidated, degraded or humiliated
- created a hostile or offensive environment.
It is important to understand that you do not need to have previously objected to someone's behaviour for it to be considered unwanted.
Sexual harassment can include:
- sexual comments or jokes
- physical behaviour, including unwelcomed sexual advances
- displaying pictures, photos or drawings of a sexual nature
- sending emails with sexual content.
Find out more
- Equality and Human Rights Commission ( EHRC) provide some further information on unlawful harassment.
- Citizens Advice provide further information on sexual harassment.