Definition: Harassment is any unwanted behaviour –physical, verbal or visual- that makes the affected person feel uncomfortable, scared, or mentally distressed.
“Sexual violence starts long before you think it does”. This is a statement from the “That Guy” campaign. But is this statement justified? We cannot simply answer the question until we are aware what actually counts as sexual violence or harassment. Sexual harassment is a sensitive issue in today's world and can be divided into three categories: It is either physical, verbal or visual.
But what is the definition of sexual harassment? Well, it's any unwanted behaviour that makes girls feel uncomfortable, whether it's unpleasant looks or unwanted touching. These factors can make girls feel embarrassed and distressed. There are different types of sexual harassment, such as cat-calling where the victim gets whistled at or receives unpleasant comments which are usually done because the offender wants to attract the attention of the victim in a sexual way to increase his prestige. But also the unwanted staring at a person is considered sexual harassment, as well as groping, which is even more problematic. Social media is also a problem these days; receiving unwanted nude photos or inappropriate messages makes more and more people feel insecure, especially young girls are affected by this problem.
Therefore, we can say that the statement “Sexual violence starts long before you think it does” is definitely true and justified. Sexual harassment is more common in our society than it seems. So, this is why we are here to raise awareness with our campaign #NoExcuseForAbuse
Sources:
GetImpactly.com, Sace.ca, UN.org