Where Is the Line Between Acceptable Social Interaction (Flirting) and Sexual Harassment?
The critical element in sexual harassment is unwanted sexual attention. Some instances of sexual harassment, including quid pro quo harassment, appear to be clear cut. However, sexual harassment has a subjective component, and behavior that may be welcome and experienced as flirting by one person may be frightening and harassing to someone else. The courts are struggling to find a “reasonable person” or “reasonable women” standard in defining sexual harassment. Until this behavior is clarified, and society develops a shared understanding of what constitutes sexual harassment, a certain amount of ambiguity and self-consciousness in personal interactions is to be expected. The distinction between acceptable interaction and sexual harassment may be particularly unclear among peers or persons of similar status (faculty, colleagues, students, etc.). The line between these behaviors may be more clear when two persons of unequal authority or status are involved. Many suggest that persons in p
