Verbal Harassment

Verbal harassment is a form of unwanted conduct that may violate a person’s dignity and privacy. It can involve words, statements, comments, or remarks of a sexual nature or with sexual connotations. Under Egyptian law, the legal classification and applicable penalty depend on the nature of the words or statements and the circumstances in which they were made.

What Is Verbal Harassment?

Verbal harassment refers to the use of unwanted words, statements, comments, or insinuations directed at another person. These may be sexual in nature, sexually suggestive, offensive, or intended to cause distress or discomfort.

Verbal harassment may occur in public places, on public transportation, at work or school, or through phones and social media.

Simply describing words as offensive does not by itself determine their legal classification. The nature of the statements, the context, and the surrounding circumstances must be considered.

When Can Words Be Considered Harassment?

Legal responsibility varies depending on the content of the statements, how they were directed, and the circumstances in which they occurred. Examples of conduct that may fall within verbal harassment include:

• Comments or statements containing sexual connotations.
• Unwanted sexual jokes or insinuations.
• Directing sexual words or statements at someone in an offensive or unwanted manner.
• Repeated comments or statements after being asked to stop.
• Sending sexually suggestive messages or comments through social media.
• Making sexually suggestive statements while following or approaching someone.

The legal classification may differ from one case to another depending on the specific facts and available evidence.

Verbal Harassment in Public Places

Verbal harassment may occur on streets, public transportation, in commercial establishments, or in other public places.

The conduct may involve words, comments, or sexually suggestive remarks. The circumstances and nature of the conduct are considered when determining potential legal responsibility.

Verbal Harassment in the Workplace

Verbal harassment may occur in the workplace between colleagues or from someone who has professional authority over another person.

The matter may become particularly significant when the conduct involves abuse of authority, pressure, threats, or an attempt to obtain a benefit in exchange for responding to sexually related conduct.

Depending on the circumstances, the incident may result in criminal liability as well as employment-related or disciplinary consequences.

Verbal Harassment Online

Verbal harassment is not limited to face-to-face communication. It may also occur through:

• Private messages.
• Social media comments.
• Messaging applications.
• Email.
• Phone calls.
• Fake or anonymous accounts.

Certain conduct committed electronically may fall under Egypt’s Information Technology Crimes Law, in addition to other applicable legal provisions depending on the circumstances.

How Can Verbal Harassment Be Proven?

Proof depends on the available evidence and the nature of the incident. Evidence may include:

• Messages and electronic conversations.
• Relevant recordings or electronic content, subject to the applicable rules governing admissibility.
• Account information and phone numbers.
• Witness testimony.
• Surveillance camera footage, where available and lawfully obtainable.
• Official complaints and police reports.
• Other documents or evidence related to the incident.

In cases involving online harassment, it is important to preserve messages and conversations and avoid deleting them before properly securing the relevant evidence.

What Should You Do If You Experience Verbal Harassment?

If you experience verbal harassment, it is important to preserve anything that may help establish what happened and take appropriate action depending on the circumstances.

Possible steps include:

• Save messages, comments, and conversations.
• Record the account information or phone number used.
• Record the location and time of the incident.
• Identify witnesses, if any.
• Preserve relevant recordings, images, or other content in accordance with the law.
• Report the incident to the appropriate authorities when applicable.
• Consult a lawyer to determine the appropriate legal action.

If the harasser is threatening or following the victim, it is preferable to avoid confrontation that could create additional danger and instead take appropriate legal steps.

Penalties for Verbal Harassment

There is no single penalty that applies to every incident described as verbal harassment. Legal responsibility and penalties vary depending on the nature of the statements, where the incident occurred, the method used, and the surrounding circumstances.

Different legal provisions may apply depending on whether the conduct constitutes sexual harassment, includes threats, insult or defamation, an electronic crime, or another offense recognized by law.

The Importance of Legal Consultation

Some incidents of verbal harassment may appear minor on the surface, but a word, message, threat, or repeated conduct may affect the legal characterization of the incident.

Therefore, before taking any legal action regarding verbal harassment, it is important to consult a qualified lawyer to determine the appropriate legal characterization, assess the available evidence, and identify the relevant authorities and legal procedures for filing a report or taking the appropriate legal action.