HORIZONTAL HARASSMENT
Where the person doing the harassing is at the same hierarchical level as the person being
harassed.
VERTICAL HARASSMENT (TOP-DOWN)
Where the harassment is carried out by a person in a superior hierarchical position. Abuse of
hierarchical superiority is considered a serious aggravating condition.
VERTICAL HARASSMENT (BOTTOM-UP)
Less common is where sexual harassment is carried out by a person subordinate to their
hierarchical superior.
ENVIRONMENTAL HARASSMENT
Behaviour that creates an intimidating, hostile, offensive environment: comments of a sexual
nature, jokes, etc. Usually requires insistence and repetition of actions, depending on the
severity of the behaviour.
QUID PRO QUO HARASSMENT
This occurs when the person being harassment is forced to choose between submitting to sexual demands or losing certain benefits or conditions at work, i.e. sexual blackmail. The person’s refusal of conduct of a sexual nature is used to deny them access to occupation, training, promotion, salary increase or any other decision about work, implying an abuse of authority. Active subjects of this type of harassment are therefore those who have the power to decide on the employment relationship, i.e. any person hierarchically superior in the organisation.