Harassment: What Are We Talking About?
The
harassment is defined as repeated remarks or behavior directed at a person that infringes upon their dignity or their physical or mental health. In principle, it is the repetition of these acts that constitutes harassment, even if the remarks are made online (cyberbullying). If several people make remarks or threats against the same person, even if these incidents are isolated, this may constitute harassment.
There are several types of harassment, depending on the context in which it occurs: psychological harassment, cyberbullying, school bullying, and harassment based on discrimination or of a sexual nature.
Moral Harassment
The
psychological harassment occurs in a professional setting. It is characterized by repeated remarks or behavior intended to, or resulting in, a deterioration of working conditions that may infringe upon the victim’s rights and dignity, harm their physical or mental health, or jeopardize their professional future. Psychological harassment is a criminal offense punishable by law and subject to disciplinary action at the university.
Bullying in School
The
school bullying is characterized by acts of bullying committed within a school setting by any person who is a student or works at the same educational institution. School bullying occurs when the victim is repeatedly subjected to verbal, psychological, or physical abuse, which leads to a deterioration in their quality of life and, in particular, their academic performance. School bullying is a criminal offense punishable by law and subject to disciplinary action at the university.
Cyberbullying
The
cyberbullying is a form of harassment that takes place online, through social media, gaming platforms, forums, etc. It is always characterized by repeated incidents and a deterioration in the victim’s quality of life. Cyberbullying is often combined with psychological, school-related, and/or sexual harassment, depending on the context and the nature of the actions. For example, sending messages, images, or videos with sexual or sexist content constitutes sexual cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is an aggravating factor in the offense of harassment. It is subject to disciplinary sanctions at the university.
Sexual Harassment
See the definition of sexual harassment on thepage dedicated to gender-based and sexual violence.
Our Commitments
We are committed to preventing harassment, protecting and supporting victims and witnesses of harassment, and addressing reports of harassment.
Report harassment at Université Grenoble Alpes
An online form has been set up for staff and students at UGA and its constituent institutions, Grenoble INP - UGA and Ensag - UGA. It is intended to receive reports—whether on one’s own behalf or on behalf of a third party—regarding sexual violence, discrimination, or harassment.
Further Reading
Definitions
Non-Recurring Psychological Harassment
Moral harassment can be characterized in two non-recurring situations:
- When these acts of violence are committed by a group of individuals who have conspired in advance, even though each individual may not necessarily act repeatedly.
- When the harassers do not coordinate their actions in advance but know that the victim has already experienced this type of harassment.
Discriminatory Harassment
Discriminatory harassment is characterized by "
any conduct based on a prohibited ground of discrimination, experienced by a person, that has the purpose or effect of infringing upon that person’s dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating, or offensive environment".
Three elements must be present to establish an act of discriminatory harassment:
- The identification of degrading or harmful conduct.
- Because of a discriminatory criterion established by law.
- And which is intended to, or has the effect of, undermining a person’s dignity and/or degrading their living or working conditions.
