Sexual harassment and sexual assault

Sexual harassment entails any form of offensive and unwanted conduct of a sexual nature. There is no objectively defined line between acceptable interactions at work and sexual harassment. Perceptions often differ from person to person. Therefore, central to this form of harassment is that if behaviour of a sexual nature is not wanted by the person who is subjected to it, and is therefore unpleasant. Sexual harassment can occur from a person from one sex towards the other or between persons of the same sexes. Examples of such behaviour could be unwanted touching, sexual comments, unwanted sexual requests or the showing of pornographic images. Sexual harassment is thus a broad term. One severe form of sexual harassment is sexual assault. This entails that a person is subject to any sexual activity to which this person does not want to or is pressured, threatened or forced to participate in.