Defining the Terms: What’s the Difference Between Sexual Harassment, Abuse, and Assault?

About this episode

The episode explores the distinctions between sexual harassment, abuse, and assault, emphasizing the importance of language in addressing these issues.

What if the words we use are part of the problem? In this episode, the Global Trellis co-authors Of Let's Talk About It: Sexual Harassment, Abuse, and Assault unpack the often-blurred lines between sexual harassment, abuse, and assault—and why those distinctions matter more than we think. Tracing how these terms developed and how they function across cultures, they reveal how confusion can silence stories, mislabel harm, and limit meaningful response. If words can contribute to the problem, the good news is that they can also be part of the solution. Listen in and become better equipped for the realities you’re facing. Download Sexual Harassment, Abuse, and Assault research paper In the download hub, on this page you’ll find: ✅ Graphics: Easy-to-use visuals from the paper for social media, newsletters, or presentations.  ✅ Infographics: Clear, shareable summaries of key findings (two specifically for organizations! One geared for you to use in newsletters) ✅ Discussion guide: A tool to help teams and groups process the paper together In this podcast episode hear directly from the authors as we unpack key themes and what surprised us most: E078 Let’s Talk About it” Sexual…

People in this episode

Hosts: Amy Young, Bernie Anderson

Guest: Stacey Covell

Topics covered

• sexual harassment
• abuse
• assault
• communication
• cultural differences
• response strategies

Keywords

• sexual harassment
• abuse
• assault
• communication
• cultural differences
• response
• language

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Let's Talk About It: Sexual Harassment, Abuse, and Assault

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