Sexual Harassment and Paraphilias

Sexual Harassment
What are the main characteristics of sexual harassment? Sexual harassment is an incident
in which:
 the behavior is unwanted or unwelcome, or
 the behavior is sexual or related to the sex or gender of the individual, or
 the behavior occurs in the context of a relationship where one person has more formal (i.e.,
supervisor vs. employee, faculty vs. student, GSI vs. student) or informal (i.e. peer) power
than the other.
Sexual harassment is defined by law and includes requests for sexual favors, sexual
advances, or other sexual conduct when any of the following is true:
 submission is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of a person's
employment or academic advancement, or
 submission to or rejection of such conduct is used as a condition affecting academic or
employment decisions, or
 the conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with a person's ability to
work or perform academically, creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working,
learning, or social environment.
Sexual harassment is a behavior, whether physical or verbal, to be a breach of its standards of

conduct and will seek to prevent such incidents and take corrective action when sexual harassment
occurs. Generally speaking, there are two types of sexual harassment: quid pro quo and hostile
environment.
What is "quid pro quo" Harassment?

Quid pro quo (meaning "this for that") sexual harassment occurs when it is stated or implied
that an academic or employment decision about a student or employee depends upon whether the
student or employee submits to conduct of a sexual nature. Quid pro quo sexual harassment also
occurs when it is stated or implied that an individual must submit to conduct of a sexual nature in
order to participate in a University program or activity. So, for example, if an employee is made
to believe that a promotion is likely if the employee goes on a date with the employee's supervisor,
the employee is possibly being subjected to "quid pro quo" sexual harassment.
What Constitutes Hostile Environment Harassment?
Hostile environment sexual harassment occurs when unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature
creates an intimidating, threatening, or abusive working or learning environment or is so severe,
persistent, or pervasive that it affects a person's ability to participate in, perform in, or benefit from
a University program or activity. While a person engaging in harassing behavior most often has
some form of power or authority over the person being harassed, that is not always the case. The
harasser can be a peer of the person being harassed. Sometimes the harasser is harassing a person
who has the power over them. For example, an employee can sexually harass a supervisor or a
student can sexually harass a faculty member.
What Types of Behavior Might Constitute Sexual Harassment?

The following descriptions, while not all-inclusive, will help you understand the types of
behavior that are considered conduct of a sexual nature and that, if unwelcome, may constitute
sexual harassment:
 Unwanted sexual statements
 Sexual or "dirty" jokes; comments on physical attributes; spreading rumors about or rating
others as to sexual activity or performance; talking about one's sexual activity in front of
others; displaying or distributing sexually explicit drawings, pictures, and/or written
material. Unwanted sexual statements could be made in person, in writing, electronically
(email, instant messaging, blogs, web pages, etc.), or otherwise.
 Unwanted personal attention
 Letters, telephone calls, visits, pressure for sexual favors, pressure for unnecessary personal
interaction, and pressure for dates where a sexual/romantic intent appears evident but
remains unwanted
 Unwanted physical or sexual advances
 Touching, hugging, kissing, fondling, touching oneself sexually for others to view, sexual
assault, intercourse or other sexual activity
Other Forms of Harassment

It is possible that a "hostile environment" may exist as a result of harassing conduct that is
not sexual in nature, but is related to a characteristic of an individual. As with sexual harassment,
it is defined as behavior that is so severe, persistent, or pervasive as to affect the ability of an
individual to participate in, perform in, or benefit from a University program or activity. An
example of such behavior would be the use of derogatory terms, insults, telling derogatory jokes,
or taunting and intimidating actions.
It is also important to note that bullying, consisting of repeated unreasonable actions of
individuals or groups, can be experienced as harassment. Bullying is typically intended to
intimidate, degrade, offend, or humiliate and can create risk to the health and safety of an
individual.
What is Discrimination?
Discrimination is the unfair treatment of a person or group on the basis of bias. Such
treatment takes several forms including, but not limited to, discrimination based on:
 Sex
 Gender Identity or Gender Expression
 Race, Color, National Origin, or Ancestry
 Disability
 Sexual Orientation
 Age
 Pregnancy
 Religion
 Veteran Status
 Height and Weight
 Marital Status
PARAPHILIAS
While there are typical sexual behaviors among humans, there are also those behaviors that
are relatively atypical. They are atypical due to any of the following reasons: (1) they are not
prevalent, (2) they are dangerous to self and to others, (3) they are bizarre and are not socially
acceptable, and (4) they are distressing either to the doer or to other people involved in the act.
Among these atypical behavioral variations, which is also considered by the APA as a
disorder, is paraphilia. Paraphilia is when an individual gets sexually aroused by an object, a
person, or a circumstance that are unusual (e.g., pain-reflecting, humiliating, non-consenting
persons). A paraphilic disorder is when the urge or act last for at least six months and is a
manifestation of clinically significant distress.
Some of the common paraphilic disorders are as follows:
 Exhibitionism – pleasure from exposing one’s genitals to nonconsenting people
 Fetishism – arousal from non-living objects (e.g., shoes, socks, body parts)
 Frotteurism – touching or rubbing one’s body or genitals to nonconsenting people
 Pedophilia – arousal from children (prepubescent)
 Sexual Masochism – arousal from actual suffering or humiliation
 Sexual Sadism – arousal from actually inflicting pain to others
 Transvestic Fetishism – (for heterosexual males only) arousal from wearing
clothing by the opposite sex during sexual activities
 Voyeurism – observing other people engaged in sexual activities
 Necrophilia – sexual intercourse with or attraction towards corpses

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Sexual Harassment and Paraphilias

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Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment is a behavior, whether physical or verbal, to be a breach of its standards of

What is "quid pro quo" Harassment?

What Types of Behavior Might Constitute Sexual Harassment?

Other Forms of Harassment

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