Harassment — in plain language

Plain language

repeated or serious unwanted behavior that targets a person and makes them feel threatened, humiliated, or unsafe

• unwanted, repeated bothering or threatening
• targeting someone with hostile behavior
• persistent mistreatment

What to watch for

• Legally, harassment usually requires unwanted conduct that is either repeated or serious enough to be hostile; a plain rewrite should not reduce it to a single minor annoyance.
• In employment and civil-rights law, harassment often must be tied to a protected trait (such as sex or race) and be severe or pervasive; do not imply any rude behavior automatically qualifies.
• Harassment is judged partly by whether the conduct is unwelcome and how a reasonable person would view it, not only by the speaker's intent; a plain rewrite should keep the focus on the impact.

Unwanted and Either Serious or Repeated. Harassment is more than a one-off rude remark in most legal settings. It generally requires conduct that is unwelcome and that is either severe or happens repeatedly enough to be hostile. A plain rewrite should preserve that threshold rather than implying any single unpleasant comment counts.

Often Tied to a Protected Trait. In employment and civil-rights law, harassment frequently must connect to a protected characteristic — such as sex, race, age, religion, or disability — and meet a "severe or pervasive" standard. The plain version should keep that link where the source text relies on it, because not all unkind behavior at work is legal harassment.

Common Misunderstandings by Non-Lawyers.

• "Harassment is any behavior I personally dislike." (Not legally — it usually must be unwanted and either serious or repeated, judged by how a reasonable person would see it.)
• "It only counts if the person meant to harass me." (Often the focus is on the conduct and its effect, not just intent.)
• "One offensive joke is automatically illegal harassment." (Usually not — a single mild incident often does not meet the 'severe or pervasive' bar, though a very serious incident can.)

Legal definition

A course of unwanted behavior aimed at a person that is serious or repeated enough to make them feel threatened, demeaned, or unsafe. In employment and civil-rights law, harassment often refers to unwelcome conduct based on a protected trait such as sex, race, religion, or age, when it is severe or pervasive enough to create a hostile environment. In criminal law and protective orders, it can mean a pattern of conduct that alarms or distresses the target, such as repeated threats or unwanted contact.

Meanings by context

employment and civil-rights law: unwanted treatment because of who you are that makes work hostile or abusive

Examples

Where you'll see it

• workplace policies and complaints
• anti-discrimination provisions
• restraining orders
• codes of conduct

Related terms

• discrimination
• hostile work environment
• stalking
• intimidation
• abuse
• retaliation

Word details

Pronunciation

huh-RAS-muhnt

Part of speech

noun

Origin

French — from French 'harasser' — to tire out, vex, or set a dog on; repeated wearing-down of a person

Domains

employment law, civil rights law, criminal law, tort law

Frequency

common

Formality

moderate