Sexual Harassment: Get Support
The SVR Lerner 700 office is available for walk-ins during business hours.
We also continue to offer virtual appointments. Please call 212-854-3500 to schedule a virtual appointment.
For urgent or after-hours support, please call the 24/7 helpline (212-854-HELP/4357) to speak with an advocate.
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What Is Sexual Harassment?
Sexual harassment are unwelcome sexual advances, request for sexual favors, or other verbal, visual, or physical conduct of a sexual nature in which submission to or rejection of such conduct explicitly or implicitly affects an individual's work or school performance. Sexual Harassment may create an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work or school environment .
Sexual harassment can include the following behaviors:
- Sex-specific derogatory names, i.e, calling a woman slut or whore
- Spreading sexual rumors
- Rating people on sexual activity or performance
- Disseminating compromising photographs or videos of a student
- Circulating, showing, or creating emails or websites of a sexual nature
- Demanding hugs
- Invading personal space
- Making unnecessary physical contact, including unwanted touching
- Leering or inappropriate staring
Sexual Harassment in the Workplace
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission defines sexual harassment as “unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitute sexual harassment when this conduct explicitly or implicitly affects an individual's employment, unreasonably interferes with an individual's work performance, or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment."
Sexual Harassment in an Academic Setting
Sexual harassment is associated with the following situations:
- A student harassing another student or students
- A professor or staff member harassing a student
- A student harassing a professor or staff member
In academic settings, sexual harassment often encompasses an unequal power dynamic, where one person is in a position of power, such as a club leader, professor, teaching assistant, or advisor.
Types of Harassment
There are two main types of harassment in workplace or academic settings:
- Quid pro quo, or "this for that": when sexual favors or requests are made on the condition of one’s employment or academic career
- Hostile environment: when the harassment is severe or pervasive enough to create an environment that a reasonable person would consider intimidating, hostile, or abusive
Other Things to Consider:
You may choose to speak with an advocate to enlist confidential support around:
- Reporting rights:
- Enlisting the aid of law enforcement
- Filing a complaint with the Office of University Life and Community Standards
- On-campus accommodations (Housing, Academic, Financial)
- On- and off-campus referrals (mental health, follow up care, healing support)
- Safety planning
- Assistance drafting a victim impact statement
- Court advocacy or assistance obtaining legal representation
- Remembering it's not your fault
- Identifying a friend or other support person to be by your side
- Learning how to discuss the incident with family members
Support Services:
9 to 5: National Association of Working Women
- 1-800-522-0925
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
- 1-800-669-4000
- 415-621-0672
- 1-800-839-4372
- 24-hour line: 415-621-0505
National Bar Association, Women Lawyers Division
- 202-842-3900
National Center for Victims of Crime
- 1-800-FYI-CALL
- 202-467-8700
- 202-588-5180
U.S. Department of Labor Women's Bureau
- 1-800-827-5335
- 312-782-3902
- 215-928-9801
Websites for Cyber Sexual Harassment and “Revenge Porn”