Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment refers to unwanted experiences in the workplace ranging from derogatory comments to unwanted sexual attention or behavior, to gender harassment, to coercion and assault. While the prototypical example of sexual harassment is a supervisor demanding sexual favors in exchange for work-related benefits, many other forms of offensive activity fall within its broad umbrella. This offensive activity can be experienced by females and males and perpetrated by those in power, by coworkers or peers, or by customers or clients. The wide-ranging use of the term, however, hinders a clear and precise definition. For purposes of bringing clarity to the topic, this entry focuses on the legal framework for sexual harassment claims, as well as the psychological efforts to define and understand the phenomenon.