What Is Sexual Harassment?

Sexual Harassment is illegal. It’s a form of sex discrimination that involves unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature. There are two forms of sexual harassment:

Quid Pro Quo (something for something): 

• Submission to or rejection of sexual conduct is either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of a person’s job, pay, or grade.
• Submission to or rejection of sexual conduct by a person is used as a basis for academic or employment decisions affecting that person.

Hostile Environment:

• Sexual conduct that interferes with an individual’s work or academic performance or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment.

Sexual harassment may include:

• Inappropriate jokes
• Inappropriate comments
• Unwelcome pressures for dates
• Touching, cornering, and pinching
• Attempts to kiss or fondle
• Threats

The University of Alaska would like to reaffirm to its employee’s, students, and staff they should take the appropriate steps to take if confronted with inappropriate behavior. Preventing harassment, specifically sexual harassment, is responsibility we all share.