It's not just rape, it's different types of sexual abuse

According to Komnas Perempuan, sexual harassment refers to acts of sexual nuance that are conveyed through physical or non-physical contact, which targets a person's sexual body parts or sexuality. This includes whistling, flirting, sexual comments or remarks, displaying pornographic material and sexual desires, poking or touching body parts, gestures or gestures of a sexual nature, resulting in discomfort, offense, feeling humiliated, and possibly causing health and safety problems.

Sexual harassment is not just about sex. At the heart of this problem is the abuse of power or authority, even though the offender may try to convince the victim and himself that the abusive behavior is actually sexual attraction and romantic desire. Most sexual harassment is committed by men against women. However, there are also cases of abuse of women against men, as well as with the same sex (both men and women).

Types of sexual harassment

According to the category, sexual harassment is divided into 5 types, namely:

1. Gender harassment: Sexist statements and behavior that insult or demean women. Examples include derogatory comments, demeaning images or writing, lewd jokes or humor about sex or women in general.
2. Seductive behavior: Sexual behavior that is offensive, inappropriate and unwanted. Examples include repeating unwanted sexual advances, insisting on dinners, drinking or dating, sending endless letters and phone calls despite being rejected, and other requests.
3. Sexual bribery: Requests for sexual activity or other sex-related behavior in exchange for promises. Plans may be overt or subtle.
4. Sexual coercion: Coercion of sexual activity or other sex-related behavior under threat of punishment. Examples include negative job evaluations, job promotion dismissals, and death threats.
5. Sexual offenses: Serious sexual offense (such as touching, feeling, or grabbing) or sexual assault.

According to their behavior, sexual harassment is divided into 10 types, namely:

1. Sexual comments about your body
2. Sexual solicitation
3. Sexual touch
4. Sexual graffiti
5. Sexual cues
6. Sexual dirty jokes
7. Spread rumors about other people's sexual activities
8. Touching yourself sexually in front of other people
9. Talking about one's own sexual activities in front of other people
10. Show sexual images, stories, or objects

What to do if you feel harassed?

There is no single way to respond to harassment. Every situation is different, and only you can evaluate the problem and decide the best response. Friends, affirmative action officers, office HR, and women's groups can offer a variety of information, advice and support, but only you can decide what is right for you. The only thing you can really be sure of is that ignoring the situation won't just cause your problem to go away.

The most important thing is not to occasionally blame yourself for the problems that happened, because this is not your fault. Place the blame in its place, namely the person who has harassed you. Blaming yourself can lead to depression, and it won't help you cope with the situation.

Various strategies that can be done:

• Say "no" to the harasser emphatically.
• Tell someone about what happened to you, don't keep it to yourself. Silence will keep your problem from being resolved. The possibility that could help you is that you are not the only victim of being abused. Talking can help you find support and also protect others from becoming the next victim.
• Find out who is responsible for dealing with harassment in your area or territory. Almost all organizations have policies for sexual harassment cases.
• If you are experiencing severe psychological distress, you may want to consult a psychologist or therapist who is a mental health professional and understand the problems sexual harassment causes.