Harassment Defined: Common Examples of Sexual Harassment
Sexual harassment in the workplace can take many forms, from inappropriate comments to unwanted physical advances. Knowing what qualifies as harassment is essential for creating a safe and respectful work environment. In this blog, we’ll define sexual harassment, share real-life examples, and provide tips on how to foster a safer work environment for everyone.
Workplace Harassment Statistics
According to a new JAMA Health Forum study, 55% of medical interns experienced at least one form of sexual harassment in 2024. These numbers are particularly high, but similar studies have found an alarming prevalence of sexual harassment across all types of healthcare workers.
Here’s another problem: although 55% of the studied interns experienced qualifying behavior, only 18% of them recognized what happened to them as sexual harassment. This doesn’t indicate a lack of harm. Even without the ability to label the behavior, these healthcare workers may have felt intimidated, offended, or uncomfortable. Their job satisfaction might have fallen off without the ability to identify why. No wonder sexual harassment is associated with decreased productivity and increased turnover.
At a time when healthcare is experiencing nearly universal labor shortages, identifying the problems that are forcing people out is a critical part of making lasting changes to keep the workforce strong.
The same study found that the ability to identify sexual harassment has doubled since 2017, so this is a fixable problem. The more that workers in healthcare understand what counts as sexual harassment, the stronger our ability to make workplaces comfortable and welcoming for everyone.
Sexual Harassment Definition
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) defines sexual harassment as unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical harassment of a sexual nature or about someone’s gender.
Of course, “other verbal or physical harassment” can cover a lot of different behaviors. To understand the full extent of what counts as sexual harassment in the workplace, we need to dig into common types and examples.
Types of Sexual Harassment
To understand workplace harassment, there are dozens of different sexual harassment examples we can list, from jokes to coerced sex.
Instead of trying to cover all the bases one by one, let’s talk about the different categories of behavior that can count as sexual harassment. First, we’ll go over types of sexual harassment based on how it’s “delivered,” so to speak, including verbal, physical, and non-verbal. Then we’ll go over some edge cases – types of sexual harassment that need to be explicitly defined because you might not realize they count as harassment.
Verbal Sexual Harassment
Verbal sexual harassment involves making unwanted sex- or gender-related statements that are offensive, hostile, or intimidating.
Verbal workplace harassment can be inflicted out loud or in writing, in person, or through remote communication. It can be purposefully alienating, or it can be unconsciously offensive. It can involve comments made directly to the person being harassed person, near them, or about them to someone else. It can be directed toward someone specific, or it can be a general statement that makes a coworker feel unsafe.
Verbal sexual harassment examples include:
- Jokes based on sex or gender
- Starting or spreading rumors
- Giving inappropriate nicknames
- Using terms of endearment
- Commenting on someone’s appearance
- Name-calling, insults, or slurs related to gender or sexuality
- Romantic overtures, sexual advances, or requests for sexual favors
- Statements expressing a desire for sexual conduct or contact
- Demeaning statements about sexuality or gender identity
- Using sexually explicit language, regardless of context
Physical Sexual Harassment
Unlike verbal sexual harassment, physical sexual harassment involves unwelcome physical contact.
Physical sexual harassment examples include:
- Touching someone’s face, body, clothing, or hair
- Standing close or brushing up against someone
- Forcing someone to engage in sexual acts they don’t want
Even seemingly harmless contact like a hand on the shoulder or a pat on the back can be sexually intimidating or discomforting – therefore rising to the level of sexual harassment.
Non-Verbal Sexual Harassment
Non-verbal sexual harassment is any unwanted conduct that stops short of physical sexual harassment but doesn’t qualify as verbal sexual harassment. This is sometimes called visual sexual harassment, but a broader label allows us to account for sounds and actions that aren’t necessarily seen.
Non-verbal sexual harassment examples include:
- Staring at someone
- Looking a person up and down
- Following someone
- Giving personal gifts
- Blocking someone’s path or restricting their movements
- Winking, blowing kisses, licking lips, or making other suggestive facial expressions
- Making suggestive gestures or noises
- Displaying or playing sexually explicit or suggestive material
Electronic Sexual Harassment
Electronic sexual harassment is any unwanted sexual or gender-based conduct that occurs through text, email, video call, or social media. It usually falls under the category of verbal or non-verbal harassment.
We can sometimes feel like what we do online “doesn’t count,” but it can create a hostile work environment to the same degree as in-person actions.
Electronic sexual harassment examples include:
- Sending hateful comments, threats, or inappropriate requests or statements
- Sharing sexually explicit or suggestive content
- Sending or requesting pictures of the body partially or fully unclothed
- Performing sexual or suggestive acts via webcam, video, or video call
Quid Pro Quo Sexual Harassment
Even if someone agrees to sexual contact or communication, it can be considered sexual harassment if there’s an element of quid pro quo.
“Quid pro quo” is a Latin phrase that means “this for that.” In other words, one person is engaging in sexual contact or communication because they really want to; they’re doing it as a means to get something else.
Typically, quid pro quo harassment involves a person with greater authority, power, or leverage pressuring or making demands of someone with less.
Examples of the “quid” (the incentive) include:
- Recruitment
- Promotion in position
- Additional compensation
- Receiving preferred assignments
- Favorable performance reviews
- Training opportunities
- Getting other perks
- Avoiding a threatened demotion, transfer, penalty, or punishment
- Keeping a secret or not releasing evidence of something illegal, immoral, embarrassing, or socially detrimental
Examples of the “quo” (persuaded behavior) include:
- Sexual acts
- Sexually explicit or suggestive communication
- Photos or videos involving sexual acts or partial/full nudity
- Spending personal time together (eg, going out to dinner)
In these cases, a sexual relationship can appear consensual when it is not. This is why some workplaces ban relationships between people of differing ranks.
Creating a Hostile Work Environment
Not all sexual harassment is about soliciting sex or romance; some of it is intended to alienate people from a workplace based on gender or sexuality. For example, people in male-dominated professions may create a hostile work environment for women to encourage them to quit or leave.
Hostile work environment harassment can be directed at an entire group of people (like women or members of the LGBTQ+ community) or targeted at specific individuals (for personal grudges, personal dislikes, or other reasons).
Learn More with Online Sexual Harassment Training
There’s a lot to understand about workplace harassment – too much for a simple blog article like this. That’s why many jurisdictions and employers require a formal course that thoroughly covers and then tests your understanding of what counts as sexual harassment, the appropriate way to respond when you see it, and how to prevent it from happening in the first place.
We have two such online, self-paced courses for healthcare workers that will arm you with the necessary knowledge: a sexual harassment course for managers and one for everyone else. These courses ensure you learn everything you need to know for your role, and you’ll be able to do so at the time and place of your convenience.
