Valerie Ettenhofer
Staff Writer

Harassment is both a complicated and a common issue that nearly everyone encounters at least once in their lives. Whether it’s the bully on the playground, the creep in class, or the uncivil coworker, everyone is forced to deal with people who test their boundaries and resolve.

When the actions of others result in discomfort or even fear from those around them, a line has been crossed into harassment and further action may need to be taken. Everyone has a slightly different definition of appropriate and at times it may be difficult for peers to gauge what is and isn’t acceptable.

In the workplace, sometimes the simplest policy is the best one; if one weren’t okay with the comments or actions of another, it would be wise for the offender to stop despite their understanding of the offense or agreement with the victim’s perspective. Likewise, if a colleague’s actions or words are making people feel uneasy or at risk, the uncomfortable party should take initiative to speak up or remove themself from the situation.

It can be taxing and surprisingly difficult to evaluate a situation and determine whether or not it is harassment. Is this man being too flirty or frank, or is he simply friendly? Does this person’s persistence seem more like ambition or obsession? Was that student making a joke or a threat?

Harassment is defined as a persistent disturbance or tormenting. This implies that the action must be repeated and should come across as malicious. According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, it is the hostile and offensive targeting of a person based on any discriminating factor.

The choice to report or confront any adversary is ultimately up to the victim, but if there is hesitation at the idea of becoming the employee who cried wolf, remember two points.

First, every boss on earth has a boss. If attempts to smooth over the situation are being ignored or dismissed by supervisors, there is always another level of bureaucracy or figure of authority that will be glad to help for the practical reason of keeping their company away from the courtroom.

Secondly, all scenarios that seem to have no good answer still offer one option that is better than the other. Fear of losing one’s job or being blacklisted around the office is a sad reality of situations like these, but it is much better than a fear of being hurt by an individual who doesn’t know when to say when.

Whether it’s at work, school or home, it is vital to know personal boundaries and the ethics that came to those decisions. If personal moral compasses are strong, it will be easy to differentiate between annoying comments and their more sinister counterpoints. In turn, acting to sidestep or stop harassment will be an easy and important choice.