DEFINITIONS

Sexual harassment is defined as "verbal, behavioral, or other forms of non-consensual, sexually-oriented conduct directed at a person without physical contact.". 

Depending on the environment and context, one single act or repeatedly persistent acts may constitute sexual harassment. Continuity is not a prerequisite. People of any age and sexual orientation may be subjected to sexual harassment. Sexual harassment can take various forms. Without being fully exhaustive, some forms include sexually explicit threats, harassment based on gender, hostile environment harassment, and unwanted sexual attention or advances. On campuses, three common forms of sexual harassment are retaliation, stalking, and quid pro quo harassment.

•  Retaliation refers to directly or indirectly making a person’s work or educational life more difficult as revenge for rejecting sexual or emotional proposals or advances, or for considering/attempting to file a complaint of harassment.
• Stalking refers to acts such as following someone without their consent; waiting near their home, school, or workplace; watching them from a distance or nearby; investigating their personal information or daily life; and using such information with the intent to harass.
• Quid pro quo harassment refers to promising rewards, promotions, grades, or similar benefits in exchange for accepting sexual or emotional behavior or advances that the person has not earned or does not deserve.

Digital Violence / Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence:

Defined as any act committed, supported, intensified, or reinforced through the use of information and communication technologies or other digital tools, which results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual, psychological, social, political, or economic harm, or leads to other violations of rights and freedoms.

(Source: Digital Violence / Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence Guide, UN Women, 2025)

Online Sexual Harassment:

A form of harassment that may involve unwanted sexual attention and sexual coercion. Any unwanted sexual behavior carried out through digital means.

E.g., sexist jokes; comments about physical appearance or sexual experiences.

Online Stalking:

The repeated targeting of a person through unwanted actions and behaviors using digital platforms and tools.

E.g., a partner installing spyware to monitor a person's phone and location.

Image-Based Sexual Abuse:

The creation, manipulation, and distribution of intimate or private images/videos online without consent, or threats to do so.

E.g., threatening to share images that were sent consensually but are later shared or threatened to be shared without permission.

Gender-Based Hate Speech:

Expressions that spread, incite, encourage, or legitimize hatred based on gender identity.

E.g., body shaming; the use of gender-identity-based derogatory stereotypes and a culture of "mockery" in digital spaces.

(Source: Digital Violence / Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence Guide, UN Women, 2025)

Victim Blaming

Victim blaming is an approach that absolves the perpetrator by attributing fault, for various reasons, to the person who has experienced victimization. In cases of sexual violence, attempts are made to find fault or wrongdoing in the survivor, conveying the message that the harm occurred because of that perceived fault. Those who engage in victim blaming are guided not by the belief that "no one deserves sexual violence," but rather by the idea that "some people deserve sexual violence." Often, this blaming is not expressed openly; instead, it implicitly suggests that the victim deserved the violence. However, there are also explicit forms of victim blaming, such as statements like "those who do this deserve harassment."

Similarly, presenting various moral or social justifications to "prove" that a survivor did not deserve sexual violence indirectly reinforces the same mindset—that some people, based on their actions, do deserve sexual violence—and therefore also constitutes victim blaming.

(Source: Association for Struggle Against Sexual Violence, Sexual Violence Increases as Silence Persists, Let's Talk! project; Glossary of Terms compiled from the "Concept Discussions on Sexual Violence" workshops)

Sexual assault is defined as “violating a person’s bodily integrity through non-consensual sexual acts.” It includes the violation of bodily integrity through sexual physical behavior imposed by physical and/or psychological force, threats, intimidation, coercion, abuse of power, deceit, or manipulation.

Child sexual abuse is defined as sexual assault or harassment directed at individuals under the age of 18. Penalties are aggravated when the crime is committed through the abuse of authority gained by public duty or service. Coercion or threats further increase the severity of punishment.

The concept of consent is essential in defining rights violations, psychological harassment, sexual harassment, and sexual assault. Consent cannot be considered valid when obtained through the use of physical and/or psychological force, threat, intimidation, pressure, coercion, deceit, manipulation, or abuse of rank/position. Silence is not consent. Consent must be continuous and can be withdrawn at any time.

An emergency situation is defined as a case where immediate action and prevention are required due to threats to the applicant’s safety, rights, or freedoms, or where there is a risk of loss of evidence related to sexual harassment or assault.

Discrimination refers to arbitrary or unjust behavior toward a person based on gender, causing harm or disadvantage to that person. More specifically, discrimination means treating a person or group unfairly compared to others in similar conditions because of their gender identity or sexual orientation.

Applicant refers to the individual who applies to the “Middle East Technical University Gender Equality Action and Sexual Harassment Prevention Unit” claiming to have been subjected to sexual harassment or assault.

A witness refers to a person who is not a party to the incident that may constitute sexual harassment or assault but has direct knowledge of the incident by any means.

PRINCIPLES

Due Diligence Principle:
The University demonstrates necessary care and attention in effectively investigating claims of sexual harassment and assault, taking required actions against those who fail to respond or attempt to conceal the allegations, preventing secondary victimization of those subjected to harassment and/or violence, and understanding the situation they experience. Particularly in the application process of sexual harassment and assault allegations, this principle aims to ensure victims are not re-victimized, and requires that “the applicant’s statement is essential” when initiating an evaluation.

Confidentiality Principle:
At all stages where claims of sexual harassment and assault are addressed, the University acts in accordance with the principle of protection of privacy concerning both the applicant and the accused.