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Domestic violence, sexual harassment, sexual assault, and rape

Sexual harassment

SEXUAL HARASSMENTSexual harassment is any kind of unwanted behaviour of a sexual nature that makes you feel humiliated, degraded, or intimidated; violates your dignity; and/ or creates an offensive or hostile environment. Sexual harassment can happen in person (one-on-one or in a group), on the phone and/or online. Examples include someone who:

  • talks about you in a sexual way that makes you feel uncomfortable
  • who calls you insulting or derogatory sexual names, or makes sexual jokes
  • makes unwanted or inappropriate sexual advances or propositions
  • who leers at you (looks at you in an overtly sexual way)
  • spreads sexual rumours or gossip about you

Anyone can be subjected to sexual harassment whether you're gay, lesbian, straight, bi, trans, or non-binary.

Citizens advice

  • Sexual harassment is unwanted behaviour of a sexual nature which violates your dignity; makes you feel intimidated, degraded or humiliated; and/ or creates a hostile or offensive environment. You don’t need to have previously objected to someone's behaviour for it to be considered unwanted.
  • Sexual harassment is a form of unlawful discrimination under the Equality Act 2010. The law says it’s sexual harassment if the behaviour is either meant to, or has the effect of: violating your dignity, or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment.

Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS)

  • Sexual harassment is unwanted behaviour of a sexual nature. The law protects the following people against sexual harassment at work: employees and workers, contractors and self-employed people hired to personally do the work, and job applicants
  • To be sexual harassment, the unwanted behaviour must have either: violated someone's dignity, whether it was intended or not; created a hostile environment for them, whether it was intended or not. Employers must do all they reasonably can to protect staff from sexual harassment and take steps to prevent it happening.

Victim Support

  • Sexual harassment is any kind of unwanted behaviour of a sexual nature that makes you feel humiliated or intimidated, or that creates a hostile environment. When someone calls you insulting sexual names, talks about you in a sexual way that makes you feel uncomfortable (like commenting on your body), or spreads sexual rumours about you, that’s sexual harassment. It can happen in person, over the phone, or online. Sexual harassment can make you feel anxious, depressed and lead to other problems, such as difficulties sleeping.
  • Experiencing sexual harassment at work can create a stressful and hostile working environment, particularly if you’re harassed by someone who works closely with you. If you’re sexually harassed by someone at work, you may feel intimidated or anxious about going to work. Sexual harassment is a form of unlawful discrimination under the Equality Act 2010. If you experience sexual harassment at work, you can report it to your manager, HR representative or trade union. It’s a good idea to keep a record of any emails you send or receive regarding the harassment as these may help if you make a claim.

LGBT harassment at work widespread, TUC survey suggests | BBC | 17 May 2019
Survey finds 70% of LGBT people sexually harassed at work | the Guardian | 17 May 2019
The Hidden Sexual Harassment & Abuse of Men and Boys (Our Stories) | Men are human | 2 Nov 2018
Me Too: The Difficult Truths About Gay Men And Sexual Assault | Huffpost | 16 Oct 2017

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