WORLD Policy Analysis Center

What sexual-based behaviors are legally defined as sexual harassment in education?

Quid pro quo refers to conduct based on gender or conduct of a sexual nature—where rejection of or submission to such conduct is used explicitly or implicitly as a basis for decisions that impact that child’s educational outcomes.

Conduct that creates a hostile environment refers to behaviors that—while not necessarily targeted at an individual—create conditions at school that undermine children’s learning and dignity. Behaviors that create a hostile environment may include unwelcome or humiliating jokes or comments of a sexual nature, or portrayal of offensive sexually-explicit materials.

Sexual violence prohibited, but not explicitly harassment means that legislation prohibits sexual violence, but does not specifically address sexual harassment or behaviors that are generally considered to be sexual harassment, such as sexual behaviors, sexual advances, or conduct that creates a hostile environment. No country fails to prohibit at least some form of sexual violence. These prohibitions may protect children from the most extreme forms of sexual harassment.

Gender discrimination in education and sexual violence prohibited, but not explicitly harassment means that legislation prohibits both sexual violence and gender discrimination in education. However, it does not specifically address sexual harassment or behaviors that are generally considered to be sexual harassment, such as sexual behaviors, sexual advances, or conduct that creates a hostile environment. In some countries in this category, prohibitions of gender discrimination have been interpreted to include sexual harassment.

Sexual harassment is not defined means legislation explicitly prohibits sexual harassment, but a definition or description of specific prohibited sexual behaviors does not accompany the prohibition.

Countries

Antigua and Barbuda - Sexual violence prohibited, but not explicitly harassment

Bahrain - Sexual violence prohibited, but not explicitly harassment

Barbados - Sexual violence prohibited, but not explicitly harassment

Comoros - Sexual violence prohibited, but not explicitly harassment

Cyprus - Sexual violence prohibited, but not explicitly harassment

Dominica - Sexual violence prohibited, but not explicitly harassment

Equatorial Guinea - Sexual violence prohibited, but not explicitly harassment

Eritrea - Sexual violence prohibited, but not explicitly harassment

Ghana - Sexual violence prohibited, but not explicitly harassment

Grenada - Sexual violence prohibited, but not explicitly harassment

Guyana - Sexual violence prohibited, but not explicitly harassment

Iran - Sexual violence prohibited, but not explicitly harassment

Iraq - Sexual violence prohibited, but not explicitly harassment

Jamaica - Sexual violence prohibited, but not explicitly harassment

Kuwait - Sexual violence prohibited, but not explicitly harassment

Lebanon - Sexual violence prohibited, but not explicitly harassment

Liberia - Sexual violence prohibited, but not explicitly harassment

Monaco - Sexual violence prohibited, but not explicitly harassment

Myanmar - Sexual violence prohibited, but not explicitly harassment

Nauru - Sexual violence prohibited, but not explicitly harassment

Papua New Guinea - Sexual violence prohibited, but not explicitly harassment

Qatar - Sexual violence prohibited, but not explicitly harassment

Samoa - Sexual violence prohibited, but not explicitly harassment

Seychelles - Sexual violence prohibited, but not explicitly harassment

Solomon Islands - Sexual violence prohibited, but not explicitly harassment

Somalia - Sexual violence prohibited, but not explicitly harassment

St. Kitts and Nevis - Sexual violence prohibited, but not explicitly harassment

St. Lucia - Sexual violence prohibited, but not explicitly harassment

St. Vincent and the Grenadines - Sexual violence prohibited, but not explicitly harassment

Suriname - Sexual violence prohibited, but not explicitly harassment

Thailand - Sexual violence prohibited, but not explicitly harassment

Tonga - Sexual violence prohibited, but not explicitly harassment

Tuvalu - Sexual violence prohibited, but not explicitly harassment

Yemen - Sexual violence prohibited, but not explicitly harassment

Belarus - Gender discrimination in education and sexual violence prohibited, but not explicitly harassment

Botswana - Gender discrimination in education and sexual violence prohibited, but not explicitly harassment

Republic of the Congo - Gender discrimination in education and sexual violence prohibited, but not explicitly harassment

Djibouti - Gender discrimination in education and sexual violence prohibited, but not explicitly harassment

Indonesia - Gender discrimination in education and sexual violence prohibited, but not explicitly harassment

Italy - Gender discrimination in education and sexual violence prohibited, but not explicitly harassment

Japan - Gender discrimination in education and sexual violence prohibited, but not explicitly harassment

Kazakhstan - Gender discrimination in education and sexual violence prohibited, but not explicitly harassment

Democratic People's Republic of Korea - Gender discrimination in education and sexual violence prohibited, but not explicitly harassment

Republic of Korea - Gender discrimination in education and sexual violence prohibited, but not explicitly harassment

Latvia - Gender discrimination in education and sexual violence prohibited, but not explicitly harassment

Lesotho - Gender discrimination in education and sexual violence prohibited, but not explicitly harassment

Libya - Gender discrimination in education and sexual violence prohibited, but not explicitly harassment

Namibia - Gender discrimination in education and sexual violence prohibited, but not explicitly harassment

Nigeria - Gender discrimination in education and sexual violence prohibited, but not explicitly harassment

Russian Federation - Gender discrimination in education and sexual violence prohibited, but not explicitly harassment

San Marino - Gender discrimination in education and sexual violence prohibited, but not explicitly harassment

Sierra Leone - Gender discrimination in education and sexual violence prohibited, but not explicitly harassment

Sri Lanka - Gender discrimination in education and sexual violence prohibited, but not explicitly harassment

Tajikistan - Gender discrimination in education and sexual violence prohibited, but not explicitly harassment

Trinidad and Tobago - Gender discrimination in education and sexual violence prohibited, but not explicitly harassment

Turkmenistan - Gender discrimination in education and sexual violence prohibited, but not explicitly harassment

United Arab Emirates - Gender discrimination in education and sexual violence prohibited, but not explicitly harassment

United States of America - Gender discrimination in education and sexual violence prohibited, but not explicitly harassment

Vanuatu - Gender discrimination in education and sexual violence prohibited, but not explicitly harassment

Vietnam - Gender discrimination in education and sexual violence prohibited, but not explicitly harassment

Zambia - Gender discrimination in education and sexual violence prohibited, but not explicitly harassment

Zimbabwe - Gender discrimination in education and sexual violence prohibited, but not explicitly harassment

Algeria - Sexual advances or quid pro quo

Angola - Sexual advances or quid pro quo

Bahamas - Sexual advances or quid pro quo

Belize - Sexual advances or quid pro quo

Benin - Sexual advances or quid pro quo

Bhutan - Sexual advances or quid pro quo

Bolivia - Sexual advances or quid pro quo

Brazil - Sexual advances or quid pro quo

Brunei - Sexual advances or quid pro quo

Burundi - Sexual advances or quid pro quo

Cambodia - Sexual advances or quid pro quo

Cameroon - Sexual advances or quid pro quo

Central African Republic - Sexual advances or quid pro quo

Colombia - Sexual advances or quid pro quo

Democratic Republic of the Congo - Sexual advances or quid pro quo

Cote d'Ivoire - Sexual advances or quid pro quo

Cuba - Sexual advances or quid pro quo

Dominican Republic - Sexual advances or quid pro quo

Egypt - Sexual advances or quid pro quo

El Salvador - Sexual advances or quid pro quo

Ethiopia - Sexual advances or quid pro quo

Gabon - Sexual advances or quid pro quo

Greece - Sexual advances or quid pro quo

Guinea-Bissau - Sexual advances or quid pro quo

India - Sexual advances or quid pro quo

Jordan - Sexual advances or quid pro quo

Liechtenstein - Sexual advances or quid pro quo

Madagascar - Sexual advances or quid pro quo

Malaysia - Sexual advances or quid pro quo

Mali - Sexual advances or quid pro quo

Marshall Islands - Sexual advances or quid pro quo

Mauritania - Sexual advances or quid pro quo

Morocco - Sexual advances or quid pro quo

Mozambique - Sexual advances or quid pro quo

Nepal - Sexual advances or quid pro quo

New Zealand - Sexual advances or quid pro quo

Nicaragua - Sexual advances or quid pro quo

Niger - Sexual advances or quid pro quo

Oman - Sexual advances or quid pro quo

Palau - Sexual advances or quid pro quo

Portugal - Sexual advances or quid pro quo

Sao Tome and Principe - Sexual advances or quid pro quo

Senegal - Sexual advances or quid pro quo

Singapore - Sexual advances or quid pro quo

South Sudan - Sexual advances or quid pro quo

Timor-Leste - Sexual advances or quid pro quo

Togo - Sexual advances or quid pro quo

Afghanistan - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile environment

Albania - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile environment

Andorra - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile environment

Armenia - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile environment

Australia - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile environment

Austria - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile environment

Azerbaijan - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile environment

Belgium - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile environment

Bosnia and Herzegovina - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile environment

Bulgaria - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile environment

Burkina Faso - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile environment

Cabo Verde - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile environment

Chad - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile environment

Chile - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile environment

Costa Rica - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile environment

Croatia - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile environment

Czech Republic - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile environment

Denmark - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile environment

Ecuador - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile environment

Estonia - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile environment

Finland - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile environment

France - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile environment

Georgia - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile environment

Germany - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile environment

Greenland - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile environment

Guinea - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile environment

Honduras - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile environment

Hungary - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile environment

Iceland - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile environment

Ireland - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile environment

Israel - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile environment

Kenya - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile environment

Kyrgyzstan - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile environment

Laos - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile environment

Lithuania - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile environment

Luxembourg - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile environment

North Macedonia - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile environment

Malawi - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile environment

Maldives - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile environment

Malta - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile environment

Mauritius - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile environment

Mexico - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile environment

Moldova - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile environment

Mongolia - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile environment

Montenegro - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile environment

The Netherlands - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile environment

Norway - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile environment

Pakistan - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile environment

Panama - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile environment

Peru - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile environment

The Philippines - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile environment

Poland - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile environment

Romania - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile environment

Rwanda - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile environment

Saudi Arabia - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile environment

Serbia - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile environment

Slovakia - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile environment

Slovenia - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile environment

South Africa - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile environment

Spain - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile environment

Eswatini - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile environment

Sweden - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile environment

Switzerland - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile environment

Tanzania - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile environment

Tunisia - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile environment

Uganda - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile environment

Ukraine - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile environment

United Kingdom - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile environment

Uruguay - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile environment

Venezuela - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile environment

Argentina - Sexual harassment not defined

Canada - Sexual harassment not defined

China - Sexual harassment not defined

Fiji - Sexual harassment not defined

The Gambia - Sexual harassment not defined

Guatemala - Sexual harassment not defined

Haiti - Sexual harassment not defined

Kiribati - Sexual harassment not defined

Paraguay - Sexual harassment not defined

Sudan - Sexual harassment not defined

Syria - Sexual harassment not defined

Uzbekistan - Sexual harassment not defined