Intent vs. Impact

 

The harasser's intent is not relevant. The harasser may feel his or her behavior is within the boundaries of appropriate behavior. Many harassers do not see their behavior as inappropriate. What one person sees as harmless or innocuous may be offensive to another person. The focus is on the impact or effect of the words or actions on a reasonable person.

 

Not everyone interprets behaviors in the same way, the courts judge whether a ''reasonable person'' would find the behavior offensive. Thereasonable person standard considers how a reasonable man or woman would view the victim's experience. Since not everyone interprets behaviors in the same way, this standard seeks to eliminate the extreme views of someone who is too sensitive or too insensitive to the potential harassment situations.

 

 It is important to remember, the statement, "I didn't mean anything by it," is not a valid defense for harassing behavior.