What is sexual harassment?

• a teacher asks for sex in exchange for a passing grade
• demanding hugs
• invading your personal space
• leering or inappropriate staring
• making unnecessary physical contact, including unwanted touching
• showing or sending pornography, sexual pictures or cartoons, sexually explicit graffiti, or other sexual images (including online)
• sexual jokes, including passing around written sexual jokes (for example, by e-mail)
• making sexual propositions
• spreading sexual rumours (including online)
• bragging about sexual prowess
• demanding dates or sexual favours
• asking questions or talking about sexual activities
• making threats to penalize or punish a person who refuses to comply with sexual advances (known as reprisal)
• creating a space that becomes a poisoned environment: i.e. someone puts up sexual images in the workplace
• sexual assault or the threat of sexual assault

• targeting someone in a negative way for not following sex-role stereotypes
• using language that puts someone down and/or comments toward women (or men, in some cases), sex-specific derogatory names
• making gender-related comments about someone’s physical characteristics or mannerisms
• making comments or treating someone badly because they don’t conform with sex-role stereotypes
• making suggestive or offensive comments or hints about members of a specific gender
• verbally abusing, threatening or taunting someone based on gender
• vulgar humour or language related to gender
• using sexual or gender-related comment or conduct to bully someone
• making an employee dress in a sexualized or gender-specific way
• acting in a way that undermines a person’s position of responsibility (Ontario Human Rights Commission)

Support for survivors of sexual harassment is available.

Learn more about Sexual and Gender-based Harassment

Learn about your rights from the Ontario Human Rights Commission