Sexual Harassment Detailed Questions &
Expert Answers
Define sexual harassment - CORRECT ANSWER form of sex discrimination that
involves unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or
physical conduct of a sexual nature when:
Submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of a
person's job, pay, or career, or
Submission to or rejection of such conduct by a person is used as a basis for career or
employment decisions affecting that person, or
Such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual's
work performance or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment.
What is third party sexual harassment? - CORRECT ANSWER the victim does not have
to be the only person affected by the harassment behavior, but could also be anyone
affected by the offensive behavior in the defined "workplace"-"an expansive term for
military members that includes conduct on/off duty, 24 hours a day" (DoD Directive
1350.2).
What are the components to the Reasonable Person Test? - CORRECT ANSWER 1)
Objective Portion - requires a hypothetical exposure of a "reasonable person" to the
same set of facts and circumstances
2) Subjective Portion - requires that the victim or subject perceives the harassing
behaviors as creating a hostile work environment
What are the 2 types of Sexual Harassment? - CORRECT ANSWER 1) Quid Pro Quo
2) Hostile Environment
What is Quid Pro Quo sexual harassment? - CORRECT ANSWER the person who is
the harasser is usually a person who is in a position of power (e.g., supervisor,
manager, and instructor). The victim is usually a person who feels s/he must respond to
the sexual advance in order to gain something in return.
What is a Hostile Environment? - CORRECT ANSWER it need not result in concrete
psychological harm to the victim, but rather need only be so severe or pervasive that a
reasonable person would perceive, and the victim perceives, the work environment as
hostile or offensive.
What are the behaviors that constitute sexual harassment? - CORRECT ANSWER 1)
Verbal
2) Non-Verbal
3) Physical
, What is verbal sexual behavior? - CORRECT ANSWER comments made to, about, and
in the presence of a person
What are some examples of verbal sexual behavior? - CORRECT ANSWER a. Turning
work discussions into sexual topics
b. Sexual connotations or innuendoes while referring to someone as honey, baby, hunk,
stud, darling, etc.
c. Telling lies or spreading rumors about a person's personal sex life.
d. Telling jokes or stories and making comments with sexual connotations
e. Making sexual comments about a person's clothing, body, or sexual activities
f. Asking questions about a person's sexual life, fantasies, preferences or history
g. Whistling or making catcalls at someone
What is Non-Verbal sexual behavior? - CORRECT ANSWER any military member or
civilian employee who makes deliberate or repeated unwelcome...gestures...of a sexual
nature
What are some examples of Non-Verbal sexual behavior? - CORRECT ANSWER a.
Paying unwanted attention to someone by ogling or staring at their body
b. Displaying sexually suggestive visuals (e.g., centerfolds, calendars, cartoons)
c. Items depicting sexual parts of the body (e.g., ashtrays, coffee cups, figurines)
d. Sexually oriented entertainment in organizations, base facilities, or officially
sanctioned functions
e. Sexually suggestive gestures with hands or through body movement (e.g., blowing
kisses, licking lips, winking, grabbing crotch, lowering pants, raising skirts, etc.)
f. E-mails, text messages, or any type of electronic communication that is sexual in
nature.
What is physical sexual behavior? - CORRECT ANSWER refers to unwanted touching
of an individual
What are some examples of physical sexual behaviors? - CORRECT ANSWER a.
Hanging around, standing close to or brushing against a person
b. Touching a person's clothing, hair, or body
