Quote:
Originally Posted by maddz
Sorry, it's harassment if people intrude on you despite being effectively told to leave me alone. And a man continuing to intrude on a woman is sexual harassment even if nothing overtly sexual is said.
I'm assuming by your forum name you're a man - this may not seem like sexual harassment to you but to a woman (especially one that is young or inexperienced) it may well come across as such. You may think you're casually chit-chatting, but your interlocutor may not so just back off and leave her alone.
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Sorry but I would have to disagree with you. Sexual harassment
requires a sexual component. Though I have to admire your apparent double standard whereby if a male continues to speak to a female contrary to her desires, that constitutes sexual harassment whereas if a female continues to speak to a male, that would not constitute sexual harassment. I wonder what you would consider gay male talking to gay male? Or lesbian female talking to lesbian female? Or any of the other sexual permutations? Betan hermaphrodite, at least, I don't have to deal with.
To quote the definition of sexual harassment I must use at work: "defines sexual harassment as any conduct, comment, gesture, or contact of a sexual nature that is likely to cause offence or humiliation to any employee; or that might, on reasonable grounds, be perceived by that employee as placing a condition of a sexual nature on employment or on any opportunity for training or promotion."
So, IMNSHO, if someone sees you reading and insists on speaking to you despite your evident desire to be left alone, that does not constitute sexual harassment. If you find the conversation offensive or humiliating, that could constitute harassment but generally harassment is a pattern of behaviour persisting over time though a serious one-time incident can be considered harassment.