In our Sexual Harassment Awareness training seminars your employees will learn and apply the important skills of handling sexual harassment issues and complaints. This hands on seminar thoroughly addresses the elements of how to prevent unacceptable behavior. The seminar includes a detailed overview of what sexual harassment is, explains legal definitions, discusses sexual harassment prevention, and shows how to handle sexual harassment complaints and maintain a positive work environment.

For more information about individual sexual harassment training seminars please complete this form.  Once the form is received one of our consultants will provide you with a confidential proposal that will include a detailed description of the training seminar and the costs for conducting it. 

Sexual Harassment Training Seminar: What To Do If You Are Sexually Harassed

Tell the offender their attention is unwanted. Set clear, verbal boundaries. Ignoring the behavior actually encourages it to continue. Don't expect the person to read your mind to learn how you feel about what they are doing. The only way they will know the attention is unwanted is if you tell them it is unwanted. Be firm and direct:

• Tell the harasser what they have done--name the behavior. Be specific, straightforward, and blunt.
• Demand that the behavior stop.
• Say "No!" like you mean it. Don't be wishy-washy. Don't say "I have a boyfriend," or "I have a girlfriend," or "I'm married," as this is not the same thing as saying "No." It implies you would welcome the attention if you were not in a relationship. Plus, many harassers will be encouraged by the prospects of cheating with you.
• Hold the harasser accountable. Don't make excuses for them. Do not pretend nothing has happened. Don't fret about protecting their feelings, or protecting them from feeling rejected.
• Make it clear that everyone has the right to be free from sexual harassment. Objecting to harassment is a matter of principle.
• Stand your ground and stick to your own agenda. Don't respond to the harasser's excuses or diversionary tactics. Harassers will often try to draw you into a dialogue or argument about why you should submit to their demands. Refuse to discuss the issue with them as this can become a power game in itself. Also, do not allow yourself to be manipulated by others into backing down.
• Remember, the harasser's behavior is the issue--not your behavior.
• Reinforce your statements with strong, self-respecting body language: eye contact, head up, shoulders back, a strong, serious stance. Don't smile. Timid, submissive body language will undermine your message. If the harassment continues, repeat yourself if you have to.
• Respond at the appropriate level. If the harassment was physical, combine your verbal response with a physical one (i.e. grasp their arm firmly while saying "No!")
• Talk about the harassment to others. Staying silent protects harassers.
(Adapted from "Back Off")

Learn to set your own boundaries. If setting boundaries is new to you, try some role playing with a friend. Practice confronting the problem with your friend playing the role of the harasser.

If necessary, you may be able to get professional advice and support with this. In the workplace, human resources offices often have "conflict resolution specialists" or mediators who can offer advice. For peer harassment at school, the school counselor may be of help, and many colleges and universities have Ombuds departments that offer mediation services. (However, make it clear you are just here for advice on how to confront the situation, and not to make a formal complaint yet.)

• Important note: Schools and some companies are now requiring immediate intervention if they learn there is sexual harassment occurring. Schools require intervention if they find out one of their employees is doing the harassing. In the workplace, many companies require an investigation regardless of the harasser's place in their hierarchy. (Find out the policy where you work.) You may want to be careful who you talk to, or be sure of the timing, otherwise you may end up in a formal investigation without wanting to be, or before you are ready.

If you simply cannot summon the courage to talk to the offender face to face, start with a letter or email. Be sure and save a copy and copies of any further correspondence. (This will also give you documentation that you tried to confront the situation yourself, which you may need later on.)

Document

Document the harassment: Keep a log of what is happening, particularly if the perpetrator is a superior (supervisor, teacher, etc.). Document each incident, including dates, times, names of witnesses, etc. Save e-mails to a disc and keep it at home. Do not throw away any mail or email that is related to the harassment, even if the mail is anonymous.

Find witnesses to what transpired, or arrange to have witnesses when you are in the presence of the person who is bothering or harassing you.

If it is legal in your state or country, tape record interactions and meetings with the harasser/s by carrying a hidden, voice-activated tape recorder, or wear a "wire" connected to a tape recorder. If the harassment occurs repeatedly in the same place, such as your office or cubicle, try hiding a motion-triggered camera to capture video-taped evidence. AKA "nanny cams," you can buy these already installed in bases such as digital clocks, books, and air fresheners.

Document negative actions: Document any negative actions that you experience because of your refusal to submit to sexually harassing behavior. For example, document if you are given a poor evaluation, a demotion, or low grade.

Document your work and/or school performance. Your performance may be questioned in the aftermath of a rejection or a formal complaint. For example, the harasser may question your work or school performance in order to justify their behavior towards you. At SHS, we are hearing stories of employers responding to harassment complaints by immediately scrutinizing the complainant's work performance, looking for any weaknesses they can find to use against them. One employer was so blatant, he told the woman outright he was doing this.

To protect yourself, keep copies of performance evaluations and memos that attest to the quality of your work. Save papers and exams that have comments by your professors. Ask for written recommendations from your supervisors or teachers that you can keep on file for later.

Formal complaints

Be smart about it: Have all your ducks-in-a-row before you make a formal complaint.

Begin with available grievance channels: If the behavior continues, use whatever grievance procedures are available at your school or workplace. In the workplace, the human resources department is usually responsible for dealing with sexual harassment complaints, at least initially. At school, sexual harassment will be in the "domain" of any number of departments: affirmative action office, ombudsman, student affairs office, dean of students, etc. (Your Student Handbook should be able to tell you which department handles sexual harassment grievances.) Mediation may be the best, first step with peer harassment. But be aware that the primary goal of any department you consult will be to protect the school or business from liability--ethics are not likely to guide their decisions, nor will they be likely to guide many of the people involved in your situation. In many cases, complainants are treated like "the enemy."

Be able to show them you tried to handle it: If you plan to make a formal complaint, it is best if you can show them you tried to deal with the situation yourself, first, and in a constructive manner. If the problem is serious enough to make a formal complaint over, then it is serious enough to communicate about to the offender first. Plus, doing this makes it harder for anyone to say you are just a trouble-maker, which is the common response of a company when they are faced with harassment complaints. (See "Get the Message Across" at the top of this page for pointers on how to say "No.")

Have proof: Be sure you have witnesses or documented proof that the harassment occurred. Harassers will often lie, saying it never happened, and it becomes a "She said, he said" situation. With proof, it makes it easier for a company to investigate and deal with the problem.

Power in numbers: Find others who have had similar experiences with the harasser, or within the environment where the harassment is occurring. See if they will join you or support your complaint. This is particularly helpful when the harasser is crafty about engaging in the behavior when there are no witnesses. If there are numerous complaints by multiple people, it is harder for anyone to dispute the word of the victims.

Document retaliation: Retaliation for complaining about sexual harassment is also illegal. Document any instances you experience just as you would the harassment. It is likely that the majority of the hostility comes from colleagues of the harasser, but this does not change the legality. All retaliation is unlawful regardless of who is doing it.

Keep notes of meetings and phone conferences: Be sure to keep detailed notes of every meeting you have regarding the harassment, including dates, names of participants, and the meeting results. If possible, you might want to tape record the meetings, or bring an advocate or friend so you have a witness to what transpired. It is also a good idea to send written summaries of the results to the attendees after each meeting. (It shows the institution you are keeping on top of things, and that you mean business.)

Stay composed: This is very, very important. Remain calm and professional during the entire process. Your demeanor and psychological state will be under scrutiny, and everyone involved will be questioning your motives. Save your emotions for a private counselor's office, family, or friends outside the harassment environment. Don't respond to the situation in a way that gives ammunition to the other side, where they love to discredit harassment complainants on the grounds they cannot deal with conflict constructively. Some harassment targets have been written up, threatened with termination, or fired outright, for creating a "hostile environment" themselves because they handled an harassment complaint so destructively.

Consult with a legal advocate: Consulting with an experienced advocate early on can help you avoid making mistakes in the process, particularly if you are being harassed by a superior (for example, your employer, supervisor, or a teacher). Also, keep the consultation confidential. Getting legal advise does not mean you plan to sue, but those around you may over-react if they know you are talking to legal professionals about the situation. (We have heard reports of people being fired when their employers learned a lawyer had been consulted.)

Research your options: If the problem continues or worsens, there are a number of legal options for you to take. If you are thinking of taking legal action, it is best for you to not leave school or your job without consulting a lawyer first. Note: institutions, particularly universities, have been known to drag out investigations so that too much time passes for the victim to file a lawsuit later on--there is usually a 1 year statute of limitations on cases. If you suspect this is happening, go ahead and consult a lawyer now.

Note on workplace harassment: In most cases, a lawyer will require that you file with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) before they will take on your case. The EEOC will only rule on cases where the harassment occurred within the last year, so the incidents will have to be relatively recent. It is best that you do not leave your job if you are thinking about filing a formal complaint with the EEOC, as this will weaken your case.

Note on sexual harassment in school: Recent changes to Title IX hold academic institutions more liable for protecting sexual harassment complainants from retaliation. Also, your identity must be kept confidential except where necessary for investigative purposes. Know your rights in this process ahead of time. If the institutional grievance channels do not clear up the situation, besides contacting a lawyer, contact the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights.

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