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title: Vernant Society Sexual Harassment Policy and Procedures

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# Vernant Society Sexual Harassment Policy and Procedures

春暉學社防止性騷擾政策及程序

I. 原則和意圖

春暉學社致力於創造安全的成長空間，保護所有人的福祉。作為變革者，我們致力於提供一個肯定每個人的尊嚴和價值的環境。為此，我們有責任反對一切形式的壓迫，包括我們中間的任何性侵犯、剝削或騷擾。我們相信，我們有責任採取任何必要的行動來防止和糾正違反這一承諾的行為。制定這些準則是為了提高人們的認識，防止騷擾行為在我們中間發生，並在騷擾行為發生時，有一個公正和明確的處理程序。本政策適用於所有春暉學社的項目、會議和活動。任何在項目層面上制定的其他政策都應該在該項目或團體範圍內更具體地應用本文件中的原則，而不應該以任何方式與本政策相矛盾。



II. 性騷擾的定義

性騷擾的定義是任何不受歡迎的身體、語言或視覺上的性挑逗、性邀請以及其他具性含意的行為，這些行為對接受者來說是冒犯或令人反感的，包括但不限於：

* 不受歡迎和非雙向的暗示性的眼神或注視
* 猥褻的手勢
* 對著裝或外表的不必要或不受歡迎的評論
* 引起不適或尷尬的個人或性方面的調侃或玩笑
* 冒犯性語言、求婚或辱罵
* 含有性內容的電話、短信、電子郵件、信件，針對已經表示對這種接觸不感興趣的人
* 未經允許或為了使某人不安而展示性方面的圖畫或出版物
* 跟隨或跟踪
* 不必要的觸摸，如摟著肩膀、擁抱、故意拂過或摩擦某人。
* 未經雙方同意展示生殖器
* 強姦和強姦未遂

侵犯

構成性騷擾的情況在種類和嚴重程度上都有很大的差異。雖然所有這些都是嚴重的和不可接受的，但有一個點，它成為性侵犯，是一種刑事犯罪，並將被提交給當地警方。雖然這些劃分絕不是絕對的，但於春暉學社的程序和做法，我們將性侵犯定義為違反法律的行為和活動。這方面的例子有：
強姦（未經當事人之一同意的性交行為）
與無法給予知情同意的人發生性行為
與未成年人（未達到法定同意年齡的人--因國家而異）的性活動
涉及商業交易的性行為
同意
這些準則並不是為了控製或限製成年人之間相互同意的行為。關鍵的一點是，兩個人都必須給予同意。
在跨文化背景下，例如在春暉學社，同意可能是一個困難的問題。依靠你基於文化的常識可能是不夠的，因為在不同的文化中，單詞、短語、訊息和手勢都有不同的涵義。

權力

性騷擾的根源不在於性行為，而在於權力的濫用。

「權力」可以是累積性的，並來自許多方面，如職業、經驗、體型和/或吸引力、性別、年齡、種族、財富和魅力。
權力可以是負面的：一個自上而下的機制，主要有利於掌握權力的人。它可以是積極的：用於服務和造福他人。

社會模式。在大多數情況下，女性被男性騷擾，這表明性騷擾不僅僅是一個個人問題，而是反映了社會中更廣泛的模式。然而，騷擾也可能發生在相同性別的人之間，或者由女性騷擾男性，在這些情況下，同樣是令人反感和不可接受的。
致組織領袖的訊息：對於那些為春暉學社貢獻的人來說，權力是自覺或不自覺地授予那些負責此類工作的人的神聖信任的一部分，決不能用來侵犯、騷擾或恐嚇。權力始於建立和接受了權威和責任的位置。
對性行為的有意義的同意不僅需要有選擇的環境，而且需要有平等的環境；因此，有意義的同意需要沒有任何約束。如果兩個人之間由於角色的不同而出現權力的不平衡，就沒有真正的平等。而沒有平等的權力，就不可能有真正的、有意義的同意。
所有春暉學社的領袖在考慮與其他春暉學社的人建立愛情關係時，應該考慮到這些現實，並應該與他們所負責的領袖進行討論。
在任何情況下，成年領袖都不應該與未成年人建立戀愛關係。

III. 跨文化交流

互聯網擁有非凡的機會來豐富其成員，並影響更廣闊的世界，因為它讓來自許多不同地方和文化的人有機會建立聯繫，互相學習，互相鼓勵，克服偏見，並為共同的目標而合作。同時，由於文化差異而產生誤解的可能性也很大。
當我們遇到彼此的差異時，我們應該小心，不要以為我們的存在方式和行為方式對其他人來說是舒服的。即使在同一文化或背景的個人之間，對一個人來說可能被認為是正常的友好和交際，但另一個人可能會有不同的解釋；在一個文化混雜的群體中，產生誤解的可能性會增加。有時，我們在年齡、性別、文化、靈性、懺悔、能力、語言、種姓、種族和階級方面的差異，使得相互理解和有效溝通成為一種挑戰。我們應將這一挑戰作為一種恩賜和積極的機會。在這樣做的時候，我們需要在我們的行為和對待彼此的態度上特別小心和敏感。

IV. 春暉學社參加者可以採取的建議和步驟，以防止和處理性騷擾的問題

你可以採取一些步驟，以確保你受到的待遇對你來說是舒適和適當的，並確保你對其他人也是如此：

對你自己和他人明確你的個人界限--與他人的哪種親近方式讓你感到舒適或合適？
拒絕任何不適當的姿態或接觸。
尊重他人的個人界限。如果你不確定，先問問。 (例如，"我給你一個擁抱可以嗎？" 
如果你遇到騷擾，明確表示這種行為是不受歡迎的。你可以用眼神、語言或手勢說 "不"。如果有人做出無禮的手勢或建議，笑可以是一個有效的策略。
如果騷擾行為持續存在，而你又身處公共場所，請將你的抗議大聲點，讓公眾注意到騷擾者。特別是如果你覺得自己處於危險之中。打、踢、推正在騷擾你的人，這是你的權利。這是自衛。
如果某人的行為讓你感到不舒服，相信你的直覺和感覺。遭遇騷擾的人有時會有一種反應，即試圖合理化或否認真正發生的事情。
與你信任的人談論這個問題，這樣你就可以為自己採取正確的措施，並且知道騷擾者的名字和所做的令人討厭的事情。後者很重要，這樣其他人就不會受到同樣的待遇。沉默可能只會激起更多的騷擾行為。教牧關懷團隊在那裡傾聽你的聲音 
對於任何法律行動，口頭和書面報告都有幫助。如果你覺得你可能想正式報告騷擾行為，在你記憶猶新的時候，寫下或記錄所發生的事情。如果你對某人對你的行為感到不舒服，不要貶低你的感覺，即使你感到尷尬或不確定你是否真的遇到騷擾。你的感覺是有效的，它們表明，與一個值得信賴的朋友或輔導員交談是有價值和有幫助的，他們可以幫助你解釋發生了什麼。


V. 春暉學社 創造安全環境、提高人們的敏感度和處理投訴的架構

政策

這份文件將被打印出來，在每次春暉學社活動開始前或開始時交給每個參與者一份。
這個政策將被介紹給出席會議的人。
那些不願意遵守政策的人需要離開活動現場。
在每次活動之前或開始時，將指定一個至少由一人組成的關懷小組，並在活動開始時向參與者介紹。
a. 關懷小組將由活動的組織者提名。
b. 關懷小組的成員最好能代表不同的性別認同或性取向。
c. 關懷小組的成員最好有豐富的經驗，在可能的情況下，專門就性騷擾問題為人們提供諮詢，並具有文化敏感度，以便能夠確定問題何時是由於文化差異造成的，何時是更嚴重的問題，並能夠有效地對有關各方進行諮詢。

5. 如果有人提出性騷擾指控，將根據本聲明採取行動。

原則

被騷擾者告訴騷擾者他們的行為是不受歡迎的，這一點很重要。然而，在某些情況下，人們可能會因為害怕或震驚而無法做到這一點，如果受害人無法與他們的騷擾者對質，也不會受到指責。

春暉學社會認真和敏感地處理每一個個案，我們的目標是透明、公平和相稱的程序。這個過程對遭受騷擾的人和騷擾的實施者都應該是公平的。

在確定發生了什麼以及如何處理的過程中，我們將盡力保持保密性，同時為接受者提供身體和情感上的安全。
春暉學社將努力提供或確保雙方都能獲得適當的諮詢和支持。

程序

所有的性騷擾都會被認真對待。然而，有些事件可以通過對話非正式地解決，不需要訴諸正式程序，消除誤解或幫助人們更明確地界定個人界限。

1. 女性關懷小組成員將與所涉女性進行私下交談
2. 關懷護理小組成員將與所涉男性交談。
3. 如果這似乎是誤會，或者是一個可以通過對話解決的相對較小的罪行，並且雙方都同意進行對話，並且似乎能夠進行建設性的對話，那麼他們將在關懷小組的女性和男性成員在場的情況下一起會面，並且在可能的情況下，由領袖來主持會議。
4. 如果從一開始就被認為是重大的違法行為，應該對騷擾者進行責備、輔導和監督。
5. 如果違規行為繼續下去，或者如果違規行為從一開始就是對接受者的嚴重侵犯，例如非禮或任何暴力行為，騷擾者將被從活動中帶走，並在可能的情況下儘早送回家；在此之前，佢不應被單獨留下，如果願意，應接受諮詢，並應協助尋找遠離其他活動的住所。
6. 在這種情況下，會議將被告知誰被送回家以及原因。
7. 如騷擾者是代表機構來參與，則騷擾者的機構也將被告知所有事件。
8. 在任何情況下，被騷擾者的身份都不會被公開--無論是對活動的參與者、騷擾者，因為在某些情況下，這可能意味著對被騷擾者的羞辱。
9. 當且僅當某人被送回家的情況下，將寫出事件的說明並在辦公室存檔。
10. 當一個人被送回家，他們將被禁止參加今後的春暉學社活動。
11. 如果出現侵犯或涉嫌侵犯的情況，將會報警。

VI. 總結

在春暉學社活動中的每一個人，無論是參與者還是領袖，都應該對自己的行為有所認識和負責，並準備為自己的行為負責。此外，我們都有責任對彼此和社區負責。我們故然希望性騷擾不會發生在我們中間，但是我們必須意識到，性騷擾曾經發生過，而且確實常發生，因此會傷害到相關人員--以及我們整個社群。如果你看到或懷疑有性騷擾發生，不要噤聲。你可以接近被騷擾的人，看看你能提供什麼幫助。告訴騷擾者，他們的言行是不恰當的，讓大家感到不舒服。與關懷小組或其他活動負責人交談。如果情況嚴重，請呼叫尋求幫助。





I. Principles and Intent

Vernant Society is committed to creating safe spaces for growth and protecting the well being of all persons. As an agent of change, we are called to provide environments that affirm the dignity and worth of each person. To this end it is our responsibility to oppose oppression in all forms, including any sexual abuse, exploitation, or harassment in our midst. We believe that it is our responsibility to take whatever action may be needed to prevent and correct behaviour contrary to this commitment. These guidelines have been created to raise awareness, to prevent harassment from happening in our midst, and to have a just and clear process for addressing it when it does happen. This policy applies to all Vernant Society programmes, meetings, and events. Any other policy developed on project level should serve to apply the principles in this document more specifically within that project or group context and should not in any way contradict this policy.

II. Definition of Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment is defined as any unwanted physical, verbal, or visual sexual advances, requests for sexual favours, and other sexually oriented conduct that is offensive or objectionable to the recipient, including, but not limited to:
Unwanted and unreturned suggestive looks or stares
Obscene gestures
Unnecessary or unwelcome comments on dress or appearance
Teasing or jokes of a personal or sexual nature that cause discomfort or embarrassment
Offensive language, propositions, or verbal abuse
Telephone calls, SMS, emails, letters with sexual content directed at someone who has indicated that are not interested in this kind of contact
Displaying drawings or publications of a sexual nature without permission or with the intention of upsetting someone
Following or stalking
Unwanted touching e.g. putting arm around shoulders, hugging, intentionally brushing or rubbing against someone
Displaying genitals without mutual consent
Rape and attempted rape


Abuse

There is a wide spectrum, in variety and in severity, of what may constitute sexual harassment. Though all of it is serious and unacceptable, there is a point at which it becomes sexual abuse, a criminal offence, and will be referred to local police. Though the demarcations are by no means absolute, for the purposes of Vernant Society’s procedures and practices we have defined sexual abuse as behaviour and activities that would contravene the law. Examples are:

Rape (sexual intercourse without the consent of one of the persons involved)
Sexual activity with a person unable to give informed consent
Sexual activity with a minor (person under the legal age of consent — varies by country)
Sexual activity involving commercial transaction
Consent
These guidelines are not intended to control or limit mutually consensual behaviour between adults. The key point is that both people must give their consent.
Consent in a cross-cultural context such as within Vernant Society can be a difficult issue. Relying on your culturally based common sense may not be enough, as words, phrases, signals, and gestures carry different meanings in different cultures.

Power

The roots of sexual harassment lie not in sexuality but in the abuse of power.

“Power” can be cumulative, and arises from a number of sources such as occupation, experience, physical size and/or attractiveness, gender, age, race, wealth, and charisma. It can be negative: a top-down mechanism primarily benefiting the one who holds it. It can be positive: used to serve and benefit others.

Societal patterns: In the majority of cases, women are harassed by men, indicating that sexual harassment is more than an individual matter but rather reflects a wider pattern in society. Harassment, however, can also occur between people of the same gender, or by women harassing men and is, in these cases, equally as offensive and unacceptable.

A word to Vernant Society leaders: In the case of those working for the Vernant Society, power is part of a sacred trust consciously and unconsciously granted to those charged to do such work and must not be used to violate, harass, or intimidate. Power begins when a position of authority and responsibility has been established and accepted.

Meaningful consent to sexual activity requires a context not merely of choice, but of equality; hence meaningful consent requires the absence of any constraint. Where there 3 is an imbalance of power between two persons arising out of a role difference there is no true equality. And without equal power there can be no true and meaningful consent.

All Vernant Society leaders should take into account these realities when considering entering into romantic relationships with other Vernant Society people, and should be in conversation with the leadership to whom they are accountable.
In no case should adult leaders enter into a romantic relationship with a minor.

III. Cross-Cultural Communication

The Internet has extraordinary opportunities to enrich its users and to influence the wider world because it gives people from many and diverse places and cultures ways to make connections, learn about each other, encourage each other, overcome prejudices, and work together for common goals. At the same time, the possibility for misunderstandings due to cultural differences is also high.

As we encounter one another’s differences we should be careful not to assume that our way of being and behaving is comfortable for everyone else. Even between individuals of the same culture or background, what may be considered normal friendliness and sociability to one person can be interpreted differently by another; in a culturally mixed group, the potential for misunderstanding increases. Sometimes our differences of age, gender, culture, spirituality, confession, ability, language, caste, ethnicity, and class make it a challenge to understand and communicate effectively with one another. We are invited to take this challenge as a gift and a positive opportunity. In doing so, we need to take extra care and sensitivity in our behaviour and approach to one another.

IV. Recommendations and steps Vernant Society participants can take to prevent and deal with sexual harassment

There are steps you can take to make sure you are treated in ways that are comfortable and appropriate for you, and to make sure you are doing the same for others. 

Be clear with yourself and others about your personal boundaries — what sort of closeness with others feels comfortable or appropriate for you? 

Refuse any inappropriate gesture or contact. 

Respect other people’s personal boundaries. If you are not sure, ask first. (For example, “Would it be okay if I gave you a hug?” 
If you experience harassment, make it clear that the behaviour is unwelcome. You can say “no” with a look, words, or gestures. If someone is making rude gestures or suggestions, laughing can be an effective strategy. 

If harassment persists, and you are in a public place, make your protests louder so that the public notices the harasser. ESPECIALLY IF YOU FEEL YOURSELF TO BE IN DANGER. It is your right to hit, kicks, or push someone who is molesting you. This is self-defence.
Trust your intuitions and feelings if someone’s behaviour makes you feel uncomfortable. People who experience harassment sometimes have a response of trying to rationalise or deny what is really going on. 

Talk about it with people you trust, so that you may take the right steps for you and so that the name of the harasser and the objectionable things done are known. The latter is important so that others are not subjected to the same kind of treatment. 

Silence may only provoke more harassment. The care team is there to listen to you! 

For any legal action, verbal and written reports are helpful. If you feel that you may want to report the harassment formally, write down or record what happened while it is still fresh in your memory. If you feel uncomfortable with someone’s behaviour toward you, do not diminish your feelings, even if you are embarrassed or aren’t sure if you are really experiencing harassment. Your feelings are valid and they indicate that it would be valuable and helpful to talk with a trusted friend or counsellor, who can help you interpret what is going on.

V. Vernant Society Structure for creating a safe environment, sensitising people, and addressing complaints

Policies

This document will be printed and a copy handed to every participant before or at the beginning of every Vernant Society event.
This policy will be introduced to those present at the meeting.
Those people unwilling to abide by the policy are required to leave the event.
A care team of at least one person will be appointed by or at the beginning of each event and will be introduced to participants at the beginning of the event.
a. The care team will be nominated by the organisers of the event.
b. It is preferable for members of the care team to represent different gender identities or sexual orientations.
c. It is desirable that the members of the care team have significant experience, when possible specifically in counselling people over sexual harassment issues, and cultural sensitivity so as to be able to determine when a problem is due to cross-cultural communication and when it is more serious and to be able to effectively counsel the parties involved.

5. If a sexual harassment claim is made, action will be taken according to this statement.
Principles
It is important that harassed persons tell harassers that their behaviour is unwelcome. However, in some cases people might be too frightened or shocked to do this, and no one will be blamed if they have not been able to confront their harasser.
Vernant Society will treat each case seriously and sensitively, with what we aim to be transparent, fair, and proportional procedures. The process should be fair towards both the person who has experienced harassment and the perpetrator (s) of the harassment.

In the process of determining what has happened and how it will be handled, every attempt will be make to maintain confidentiality, while at the same time providing for the physical and emotional safety of the recipient.

Vernant Society will try to provide or ensure that both parties have access to appropriate counselling and support.
Procedures

All sexual harassment is to be taken seriously. Some incidents, however, can be resolved informally, through dialogue, without recourse to formal procedures, clearing up misunderstandings or aiding people in more clearly defining personal boundaries.
* - [ ] 1. The female care team member will talk privately with the female involved
* - [ ] 2. The male care team member will talk with the male involved.
* - [ ] 3. If it seems to be a possible misunderstanding, or a relatively minor offence resolvable through dialogue, and both consent to a conversation and seem able to engage in a constructive conversation, they will meet together in the presence of and facilitated by both a female and male member of the care team, and possibly the leadership of the meeting.
* - [ ] 4. If the offence is deemed from the beginning to be significant, the harasser should be reproved, counselled, and monitored.
* - [ ] 5. If the offence continues, or if the offence was a serious invasion of the recipient from the start, for example groping or any violent act, the harasser will be removed from the event and sent home at the earliest possibility; until that time he or she should not be left alone, should receive counselling if willing, and should have assistance in finding accommodation away from other the event.
* - [ ] 6. In the case of such an action, the meeting will be informed who was sent home and why.
* - [ ] 7. If the harasser was a representative of an organistaion,thier representing org will also be informed of all events.
* - [ ] 8. In no case will the identity of the harassed person be made public — to either the participants of the event or the harasser, as in some cases this could mean undue shame for the harassed person.
* - [ ] 9. An account of events will be written up and filed at the office if and only if a person has been sent home.
* - [ ] 10. If a person has been sent home, they will be banned from future Vernant Society events.
* - [ ] 11. In the case of abuse or suspected abuse, local police will be called.

VI. Concluding remarks

Everyone, participants and leadership, at a Vernant Society event should be aware and responsible for their behaviour and prepared to account for it. In addition, we all have a responsibility to each other and the community. We hope that sexual harassment will not occur often among us, but we must be aware that it has been and is something that does happen and therefore injures those involved — and by extension our whole community. If you see or suspect sexual harassment taking place, do not keep it to yourself. You could approach the person being harassed to see how you can help. Tell the harasser that their words or actions are inappropriate and make everyone feel uncomfortable. Speak with the care team or other event leaders. If the case is severe, call for help.
