Legal Definitions - harassment

Harassment is when someone says or does things that make another person feel threatened, scared, or belittled. It is behavior that is not wanted or invited and causes distress without any good reason.

For example, in New York State, a person can be charged with harassment if they repeatedly follow someone in public or do things that make the person afraid of getting hurt. This is a crime and can result in a fine or even jail time.

In the workplace, harassment is a type of discrimination that is against the law. It happens when someone is treated badly because of their age, race, gender, disability, or other protected characteristic. This can include things like offensive comments, gestures, or pictures that make the person feel uncomfortable or unwelcome.

Harassment can also be used to describe annoying or bothersome behavior, like getting too many phone calls from a debt collector.