What is bullying and harassment?

Bullying is repeatable, unwanted, aggressive behaviour or intentional hurting that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. 

It can happen face-to-face or online and includes verbal abuse, threats, insults, deliberately demeaning you (especially in front of others), spreading rumours, unfair work demands that are different to others and continuous insensitive jokes or comments.

Harassment is a pattern of unwanted behaviours that are physical, verbal or non-verbal, which may intentionally or unintentionally violate a person’s dignity or create an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment which interferes with an individual’s learning, working or social environment.

It can also include unwanted and excessive messages, gifts, threats of what may happen or promises of what could happen if you behave in a certain way.

Harassment is unlawful under the Equality Act 2010.