What Is Sexual Harassment?

Sexual harassment is a form of discrimination.

Sexual harassment can be verbal

Is it possible to be harassed by someone who is not my supervisor?

What if I want to take legal action?

What can I expect if I internally report the harassment?

Anxiety, frustration, depression, sleeplessness and/or nightmares, difficulty concentrating, headaches, fatigue, shame and or guilt, feeling powerless, helpless or out of control, feeling angry towards the harasser, loss of confidence and self-esteem, withdrawal and isolation, suicidal thoughts or attempts Retaliation from the harasser, or colleagues/friends of the harasser, should the victim complain or file a grievance (retaliation can involve revenge along with more sexual harassment, and can involve stalking the complainant) Having to drop courses, or change academic plans; it may impact grade performance Increased absenteeism to avoid harassment, or because of illness from the stress Having one’s personal life held up for public scrutiny – the victim becomes the “accused,” and their dress, lifestyle, and private life will often come under attack.  (Note:  this rarely occurs for the perpetrator.) Being objectified and humiliated by scrutiny and gossip Becoming publicly sexualized Defamation of character and reputation Stress impacting relationships with significant others, sometimes resulting in the demise of the relationship; equally, stress on peer relationships and relationships with colleagues Impact on references/recommendations Loss of career

Individuals may fear retaliation and victim blaming.

Some of the potential effects a victim may experience:

The most effective weapon against sexual harassment is prevention.  Harassment does not disappear on its own.  In fact, it is more likely that when the problem is not addressed, the harassment will worsen and become more difficult to remedy as time goes on.

Documenting the harassment is important for use as evidence in a case or complaint.

A victim of sexual harassment may file legal claim even if s/he has tolerated the behavior for fear of retaliation or losing their job.

Employers are responsible for the conduct of supervisors and managers.

Sexual harassment is not mutual and is unwelcome.

sexual harassment as a form of sex discrimination

Unwelcome touching is only one kind of harassment.

Eat moderate portions - reduce, don't eliminate foods

You need more than 40 different nutrients for good health and no single food can supply them all.

One analysis, by Rich Pirog of the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, showed that transportation accounts for only 11% of food’s carbon footprint.

The one big problem with thinking beyond food miles is that it’s hard to get the information you need.

Take lamb. A 2006 academic study (funded by the New Zealand government) discovered that it made more environmental sense for a Londoner to buy lamb shipped from New Zealand than to buy lamb raised in the U.K. This finding is counterintuitive — if you’re only counting food miles. But New Zealand lamb is raised on pastures with a small carbon footprint, whereas most English lamb is produced under intensive factory-like conditions with a big carbon footprint. This disparity overwhelms domestic lamb’s advantage in transportation energy.