Offensive behaviour can range from bullying, sexual harassment and discrimination to physical violence or threats of violence. If one or more individuals grossly or repeatedly subjects you to behaviour that you experience as degrading or inappropriate, then what you’re experiencing is offensive behaviour that is unacceptable.
Harassment includes all forms of unsolicited verbal, non-verbal or physical behaviour that:
Example of harassment:
Sexual harassment includes all forms of unsolicited verbal, non-verbal or physical behaviour with sexual undertones that are an affront to a person's dignity, and that create a threatening, hostile, degrading, humiliating or unpleasant environment – both physically and psychologically. Both men and women can behave in a way that constitutes sexual harassment.
Examples of sexual harassment:
Bullying is an expression of intolerance and a display of contempt for other people. Bullying is very destructive behaviour that can seriously undermine another person's self-respect and self-esteem. Bullying is abusive social interaction that is typically repetitive: the same the same person(s) or groups of people are deliberately targeted and subjected to repeated abuse and/or humiliation.
Examples of bullying:
Violence is an action or threat that – regardless of intent – violates another person’s integrity or which frightens, hurts or injures that person. Violence can have the same effect on other people who witness or overhear the action. Violence may be a deliberate action or something done in anger. The act also constitutes a breach of accepted laws and standards.
Examples of physical and psychological violence:
Threats can also be expressed without words, e.g. with clenched fists, movement of a finger over the neck or in the form of drawings. Psychological violence and threats of violence can also be exercised via text messages, email and social media.