Addressing Sexual Harassment

The UW Title IX office can help you recognize discriminatory behavior, and provides resources and information about steps you can take if you experience discriminatory or harassing behavior. Title IX protections extend to internships and off-campus placements.

If you experience discriminatory or harassing behavior, here are some things you can do:

Notify your workplace supervisor of the situation.
Contact your academic advisor, a mentor, or an administrator. Departments and schools may have options or strategies to assist—for example, working with the internship or job site on your behalf or assisting you in finding a different placement.
Keep a record of the harassment, noting the date, time, and place specific behavior occurred should you later choose to report it. Take screenshots or keep copies of texts and emails and save documentation on your personal electronic devices.
Consider notifying our team at the Career & Internship Center if you applied for your internship through the UW’s Handshake job and internship platform. Email us at handshake@uw.edu so we can assist you with identifying appropriate action steps.

Recognize the behaviors

Inappropriate workplace behavior includes unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and/or sexually suggestive conduct. This may include that:

Can be observed: gestures, starting, sexually explicit images, sexually suggestive objects
Can be heard: jokes, derogatory comments, slurs
Can be felt: unwanted bodily contact such as pinching, rubbing or hugging, restricting a person’s movement
Utilizes power dynamics to create fear, or to undermine, coerce or intimidate
Occurs in person or electronically, through texts, email or social media

Sex discrimination occurs when someone is treated unfavorable based on their actual or perceived sex, gender, gender identity or expression, or sexual orientation.

Sexual harassment, sexual assault, and gender-based harassment are all forms of sex discrimination.

Sexual harassment is characterized by unwelcome and unsolicited language or conduct of a sexual nature. The conduct is sufficiently severe, persistent or pervasive such that it could be reasonably expected to create an intimidating, hostile or offensive environment or has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s academic or work performance.

Gender-based harassment, or discriminatory harassment based on sex, is characterized by unwelcome language and conduct that is not sexual in nature but is based on gender or gender identity.

Discriminatory or harassing behavior may occur:

in the workplace
at an offsite work meeting or function
while socializing with coworkers
at other places where interaction with coworkers might take place, such as on public transportation

It can occur between:

a supervisor and supervisee
peers (i.e. an individual of a similar age group, or other students from UW or another college/university)
an employee or intern and a vendor or client
a patient and an employee, in medical or healthcare settings

The above lists are not exhaustive. If you are uncomfortable with behavior you have experienced or are unsure if it might amount to sex- or gender-based harassment, consider contacting a UW resource.

Sex discrimination is prohibited by Title IX, other federal and state laws, and by UW policy. See relevant UW policies and code sections.

Contribute to a positive workplace environment

Attend professional development opportunities, onboarding, and training on policies and procedures to better understand sexual harassment and inappropriate workplace behavior
Receive feedback from others respectfully if they tell you your actions make them uncomfortable or are harassing
Familiarize yourself with your workplace’s technology use policies. Do not utilize equipment (telephones, computers, printers, etc) to view or share inappropriate images, videos or messages
Focus on the impact, not the intent: what one person considers a casual, funny or playful comment or behavior may be experienced by others as degrading, intrusive or inappropriate
Do not assume that others welcome physical contact (touches, massages, hugs, etc)
Keep in mind that appropriate behavior, as outlined by the organization, is expected at all workplace events including informal ones and those where alcohol is served
Before starting your internship or placement, identify a support system that can assist you if you experience discrimination or harassment
- This group might include:
  - The UW representative who is coordinating or supervising your internship or placement
  - People who you can keep updated about how things are going in the workplace, ideally from at least 2 different kinds of relationships (e.g. personal life, peer group, advisers, and mentors)
  - Your immediate supervisor at the workplace – you might also identify another staff member, perhaps the HR director (or equivalent), with whom you can check in from time to time

Review your workplace’s policy on sexual harassment and identify the resources available to you.

If you experience discriminatory or harassing behavior…

…you may be hesitant to share the experience with others. You may even questions if what happened is harassment. Remember that another person’s misconduct is not your fault and that you are entitled to an environment free from harassment.

Some steps you can take include:

Notify your workplace supervisor of the situation
Contact your UW academic advisor, a mentor, or an administrator. Departments and schools may have options or strategies to assist – for example, working with the internship or job site on your behalf or assisting you in finding a different placement
Keep a record of the harassment, noting the date, time and place specific behaviors occurred should you choose to later report it. Take screenshots or keep copies of texts and emails and save documentation on your personal electronic devices
Consider notifying the Career & Internship Center if you applied for your internship through Handshake, by emailing handshake@uw.edu. They can assist you with identifying appropriate next steps.
You can access resources and receive support without confronting the offending party. However, if you feel comfortable doing so, you can inform the person that their behavior is inappropriate and they should stop the offensive or unwelcome conduct.

Any unwelcome behavior, even conduct that does not clearly violate University policy, can be addressed.

Please note:

Non-UW workplaces and field sites may define sexual harassment differently than the University does. Consult your workplace’s employee or volunteer handbook, or website, for information about relevant policies and procedures
The University may not have jurisdiction to investigate the reported misconduct if the accused party is not affiliated with the University
- Regardless of whether UW has jurisdiction with regard to a particular incident of misconduct, University support resources are available to you
University resources are available even if you choose not to make a formal complaint

Confidential Advocates

If you would like to discuss an experience or situation, confidential advocates are available to offer support and assistance with understanding your rights and reporting options, facilitating supportive measures, or creating a safety plan.

For Seattle campus students: LiveWell Student Advocate lwadvoc@uw.edu or call 206.685.4357

Privacy & Confidentiality

Confidential advocates have legally protected confidentiality and only share information with others when given specific permission by the person who has experienced harm or when required by law. The Office of the Title IX Coordinator and SafeCampus do not have legally protected confidentiality, but strive to safeguard the privacy of individuals who have experienced sex- or gender-based violence and harassment. They share information as needed to respond to the requests of those who have been harmed, to assess community safety or to comply with legal requirements.

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