Sexual Assault Awareness Month is an important opportunity to pause, learn and reflect on behaviours that may cause harm – even when they’re not always obvious or intended.
Sexual misconduct is any unwanted behaviour of a sexual nature that makes someone feel uncomfortable, offended, humiliated or intimidated. It isn’t always physical. And it isn’t “just banter”.
What one person may experience as joking or part of workplace culture can feel very different to someone else. Impact matters, not intent.
Medical Director for CSS, Katherine Ajdukiewicz states;
“Creating a safe workplace starts with recognising behaviour that causes harm, even when it’s uncomfortable to name it.”
It’s not always obvious
Sexual misconduct can take many forms. It can be:
- Written or verbal – comments, jokes, messages or remarks
- Physical – unwanted touching or invasion of personal space
- Non‑verbal – gestures, staring or body language
- Visual – images, screensavers or shared content
Because these behaviours can sometimes be subtle or normalised, they can be hard to recognise – especially if they’ve become part of “how things are”. But that doesn’t make them acceptable.
Recognise it
To help colleagues better understand what sexual misconduct can look like in practice, we’ve created a clear ‘Recognise it’ infographic, with real‑life examples across each of these categories. The purpose isn’t to accuse or alarm, but to build shared understanding and support respectful, safe workplaces for everyone.
Recognising behaviour is the first step in preventing harm.
Support is available
If you experience sexual misconduct, or if something doesn’t feel right, you are not overreacting – and you don’t have to deal with it alone.
There is support available, and options for reporting, whether you want advice, someone to talk to, or to take things further. You can also seek support if you’ve witnessed behaviour that concerns you.
Find out more
You can learn more about Sexual Assault Awareness Month, recognising sexual misconduct, reporting options and available support using the links below:
- Sexual Assault Awareness Month
https://intranet.mft.nhs.uk/news/article/3510 - E‑learning module
https://intranet.mft.nhs.uk/news/article/3516 - ‘Recognise it’ infographic
https://intranet.mft.nhs.uk/news/article/3518
Creating a safe, respectful culture is everyone’s responsibility. Being able to recognise harmful behaviour – and knowing what to do next – helps protect both individuals and teams.
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