HARASSMENT VOCABULARY

Harassment: The act of repeatedly disturbing or upsetting someone through unwanted actions, words, or behavior.

Sentence: The company took immediate action after receiving complaints of harassment from several employees.

Bullying: The act of intimidating or mistreating others, often repeatedly, to exert power over them.

Sentence: The school implemented new policies to combat bullying on campus.

Intimidation: The act of frightening or making someone feel fearful, often to control them.

Sentence: The manager’s intimidation tactics made the team members too afraid to speak up.

Stalking: The act of following or monitoring someone persistently and obsessively, causing them to feel unsafe.

Sentence: The police arrested the man for stalking after he followed his ex-girlfriend for weeks.

Discrimination: Unfair treatment of a person or group based on characteristics such as race, gender, age, or religion.

Sentence: She filed a lawsuit claiming discrimination after being passed over for promotion due to her gender.

Retaliation: The act of seeking revenge or responding negatively to someone, usually because they have done something to harm or offend you.

Sentence: The employee filed a retaliation complaint after being demoted for reporting harassment.

Verbal Abuse: The use of words or speech to belittle, insult, or hurt someone emotionally.

Sentence: Constant verbal abuse from his boss led him to seek help from HR.

Sexual Harassment: Unwelcome and inappropriate behavior of a sexual nature, typically in the workplace or other professional settings.

Sentence: She reported the sexual harassment she faced at the office to the human resources department.

Victimization: The act of treating someone unfairly or causing harm to them, often with the intent to make them suffer.

Sentence: She felt victimized by the constant ridicule from her classmates.

Coercion: The practice of forcing someone to act against their will through threats, intimidation, or pressure.

Sentence: The employee claimed that the company had used coercion to force her to sign an unfair contract.

Manipulation: Controlling or influencing someone for personal gain, often in a deceitful or unethical way.

Sentence: The manager’s manipulation of employees made the workplace toxic and stressful.

Cyberbullying: Bullying or harassment that takes place over digital platforms such as social media or text messaging.

Sentence: The teenager became a target of cyberbullying after posting a controversial opinion online.

Defamation: The act of making false statements about someone that damage their reputation.

Sentence: She sued her colleague for defamation after false rumors were spread about her behavior.