DEFINITIONS

Gender-based harassment: Gender-based harassment is one type of sexual harassment. Gender-based harassment is “any behaviour that polices and reinforces traditional heterosexual gender norms. In some cases, gender-based harassment may look the same as harassment based on sexual orientation, or homophobic bullying, and trans homophobia.

Gender-based violence: Any form of behaviour, including psychological, physical, and sexual behaviour that is based on an individual’s gender and is intended to control, humiliate, or harm the individual. The form of violence is generally directed at women and girls. It reflects an attitude or prejudice at the individual or institutional level that aims to  subordinate an individual or group on the basis of sex and/or gender identity, gender queer/gender variant and transgender queer.

Acquaintance sexual assault: Includes partner, friend, date, peer, colleague or anyone already known to the person. Sexual gender-based violence is most often perpetrated by an acquaintance. The term “date rape” is interchangeable with “acquaintance sexual assault.”

Bystander: For the purposes of sexual violence prevention, a bystander is anyone who is neither a victim nor an offender, but who could potentially get involved to make a difference. It refers to anyone who is in a position to intervene before, during or after the sexual act.

Cyber bullying and Harassment: Often used interchangeably, cyber harassment and cyber bullying are harassment defined as repeated, unsolicited, reasonably known to be unwelcome, by a person or group using cell phone or Internet technology with the intent to bully, harass, and intimidate a victim. The harassment can take place  in any electronic environment where communication with others is  possible, as on social networking sites, on message boards, in chat rooms, through text messages or through email.

Member of the College: Includes but is not limited to all employees, governors, students, contractors, suppliers of service, individuals who are directly connected to college initiatives, volunteers and visitors.

Upstander: For the purposes of sexual violence prevention, an Upstander is anyone who is neither a victim nor an offender, but who gets involved to make a difference. It refers to anyone who intervenes before, during or after the sexual act.