Harassment is unwanted behaviour that you find offensive, where the other person’s behaviour is because:
- you have a protected characteristic
- there is any connection with a protected characteristic (for example, you are treated as though you have a particular characteristic, even if the other person knows this isn’t true)
Unwanted behaviour could include:
- spoken or written abuse
- offensive emails
- posts or comments on websites and social media
- images and graffiti
- physical gestures
- facial expressions
- banter that is offensive to you
Anything that is unwelcome to you is unwanted. You don’t need to have previously objected to it.
The unwanted behaviour must have the purpose or effect of violating your dignity, or creating a degrading, humiliating, hostile, intimidating or offensive environment for you.