PHYSICAL, VERBAL AND VISUAL HARASSMENT

LIMITS OF PHYSICAL CONTACT AND PERSONAL SPACE

Physical harassment involves any unwanted contact, from seemingly "accidental" touching to direct aggression.

It includes behaviors such as unsolicited shoulder rubs, intentional brushes in passing, prolonged hugging, or aggressively invading personal space (cornering).

The key is the lack of consent and the discomfort it creates. Blocking a person's path is also considered a form of physical intimidation.

Suppose Rasputin, known for his lack of social boundaries, works as a consultant.

If he has a habit of standing extremely close to Czarina Alejandra (his colleague) to the point that she must back up against the wall, or if he insists on patting her on the lower back when complimenting her, he is committing physical bullying.

Even if he claims to be "loving" or "spiritual," the invasion of Alejandra's physical space without her permission is a violation of professional boundaries.

INAPPROPRIATE LANGUAGE, NAME-CALLING AND COMMENTS ABOUT APPEARANCE.

Verbal harassment is one of the most common and often downplayed forms. It includes sexual jokes, innuendo, intrusive questions about private life, comments about body or clothing, and the use of "affectionate" nicknames (doll, sweetie, handsome) that infantilize or sexualize the professional.

Whistling and suggestive sounds also fall into this category. Language does not need to be explicitly pornographic to be harassment; it can be sexist or demeaning.

If Don Juan Tenorio constantly referred to his teammates not by their names or professional titles, but as "my beauties," or made comments about how "sexy" Doña Inés looks in her new glasses during a financial presentation, he would be engaging in verbal harassment.

These comments divert attention from Inés' professional competence to her physical appearance, undermining her authority and comfort.

OFFENSIVE VISUAL MATERIAL AND ITS EFFECT ON THE ENVIRONMENT

Visual harassment refers to the display of images, objects or text of a sexual nature in the workplace.

This includes nude posters, calendars with models in suggestive poses, inappropriate screensavers, or sending emails and memes with sexual content.

The material need not be sent directly to the victim; simply displaying it in common or visible areas creates an offensive environment.

Imagine the painter Toulouse-Lautrec decorating his cubicle in a law firm with explicit sketches of the Moulin Rouge.

Even if he considers this to be "art," if these images are visible to his colleagues and clients, and are offensive or demeaning to them, it constitutes visual harassment.

Toulouse-Lautrec's right to personal expression ends where his colleagues' right to an environment free of unwanted sexualization begins.

SUMMARY

Physical harassment involves any unwanted contact, from allegedly accidental touching to direct assaults, including aggressive invasion of personal space or blocking of passage without the victim's consent.

Verbal harassment includes sexual jokes, innuendo, intrusive questions about private life and the use of nicknames that infantilize or sexualize the professional, diverting attention from his or her work competence.

Visual harassment consists of the display of offensive material, such as pornography, sexist memes or suggestive calendars in common or digital areas, generating a degrading environment for other colleagues.