The Facts: Sexual Harassment

STATISTICS IN CANADA

• One in three women aged 15 to 24 experienced unwanted sexual behaviour and were twice as likely to experience this behaviour compared to those 35 or older

• 52% of women in Canada have been subject to sexual harassment in the workplace

• 28% have experienced non-consensual sexual touching at work

• Women with disabilities are 2.3 times more likely to experience harassment than women without a disability

WHAT IS SEXUAL HARASSMENT?

Sexual harassment is any unwelcome/inappropriate sexual behavior expressed at a target, and what is considered unwelcome/inappropriate is determined by the target of the behavior. Forms of harassment can include:

 
  • • Intentionally brushing up on someone

    • Standing/sitting/moving too close to someone despite their discomfort

    • Grabbing, massaging, pinching, fondling a person’s body part

    • Messing someone’s clothes to expose a body part

    • Sending unwanted gifts

    • Stalking

  • • Catcalling, name-calling, body shaming

    • Dirty or sexist jokes

    • Bragging about sexual prowess or history

    • Intrusive questions about a person’s sexuality or sexual activity

    • Unwanted communication through conversations, phone calls, texts, emails or social media comments

  • • Self-exposure (in person or online)

    • Sending sexually explicit images or objects to the target

    • Creating and/or distributing sexually explicit images of the target or using the target’s likeness without their permission (e.g., sharing nudes without consent, deepfakes)

    • Making obscene gestures

    • Taking pictures of the target without their consent

    • Leering or staring at the target for long periods of time or while in a vulnerable/private moment (e.g., spying on someone undressing without their knowledge in-person or through a hidden camera)

 
 

SEXUAL HARASSMENT: MYTHS VS. REALITY


DUE TO THE COMPLICATIONS AND RISK OF GREATER VIOLENCE AND ABUSE, TRAINED PROFESSIONAL ASSISTANCE MAY BE REQUIRED. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE PROCEED TO SUPPORT SERVICES.

 
 

 
If your flirting strategy is
indistinguishable from harassment,
it’s not everyone else that’s the problem.

J O H N S C A L Z I

  • • Canadian Women’s Foundation. “The Facts About Sexual Assault and Harassment.“ Nov 2022.

    • Cristall, Jonathan. “What They Don’t Teach Teens: Life Safety Skills for Teens and the Adults Who Care for Them.” Quill Driver Books. 2020.

 
Katrina Velasquez