Sexual harassment can be an issue when it comes to divorce, although it’s not always talked about. Awareness of sexual harassment, in general, requires healthy and honest conversations on the subject.
Many forms of sexual harassment, such as someone exposing themselves to someone else, are one-time events.
However, sexual harassment in the home can go on for years, and because of that, it is often more dangerous to the victim. Sexual harassment in a marriage can quickly turn into sexual assault. Close to 25% of reported rapes in a year are committed by a husband or boyfriend.
But what about when the relationship is over?
It’s extremely common for one spouse to end a relationship while the other spouse hopes it can be reconciled. Even when a divorce is finalized, one spouse may still try to initiate sexual relations with their former partner.
In this article, you’ll read about different forms of sexual harassment as they pertain to divorce.
Different Types of Sexual Harassment
Many divorces involve children, which usually means you and your spouse are going to interact once a divorce is finalized.
However, sexual harassment can be present during divorce proceedings as well.
Here are forms of sexual harassment that can happen during divorce proceedings and once the divorce has been finalized.
Verbal Sexual Harassment
Disrespectful comments and remarks, insults, and slurs are all forms of verbal harassment. Titles, labeling, and nicknames can also constitute verbal harassment. Here’s an example of verbal sexual harassment.
You and your spouse attend your child’s birthday party. As the children are enjoying games, you both go to the kitchen to get the cake ready. Your spouse says, “Hey hot stuff! What are the chances you and I would end up back here?”
By calling you “hot stuff,” your spouse may think they are giving you a compliment.
Not only is this an example of an offensive comment regarding your anatomy, but it is also sexual in nature.
This type of situation can be difficult for you because you may think that by telling your spouse to stop calling you names, an argument may break out. “Boys will be boys,” right?
Unwanted “romantic overtures” are forms of verbal harassment. That means flirtatious and romantic gestures that try to turn a relationship centered around parenting into a romantic or sexual relationship.
These types of gestures can be obvious or subtle but are both considered harassment. A subtle gesture would be your spouse asking you out to a candlelit dinner. You’ve made it clear that you don’t want a romantic relationship going forward, but they persist.
That doesn’t mean that divorced spouses can’t have dinner with one another. This just means that it can be considered harassment depending on the situation.
Physical Sexual Harassment
The type of sexual harassment that is probably the most well-known in relationships is physical sexual harassment. This type of harassment could also be referred to as “unwelcome touching.”
This could be in the form of rubbing someone’s shoulders or interfering with a person’s movements.
Here’s an example. Your ex-wife goes up to you at a neighborhood picnic and wraps her arms around you. You, feeling uncomfortable, politely ask her to please stop touching you.
Even though she’s been asked not to, she continues to make physical contact with you. As you shut down her advances, she becomes angry. She creates a hostile environment where you don’t feel comfortable. This causes you to leave the picnic early.
If your spouse continues this type of behavior, you should consult an attorney. You may be able to get a restraining order.
Visual Sexual Harassment
Visual harassment can be a form of sexual harassment. In its most obvious form, visual harassment would be one person exposing themselves to another person who doesn’t want to see this exposure.
However, visual sexual harassment can be extremely subtle. Cartoons or drawings displaying sexual content are also forms of this type of harassment. Here’s an example.
Your ex-husband may spend one of his days off from work drawing a character that represents you. In this drawing, he has exaggerated some features, such as breast size. In hopes the two of you will have sex, he mails this picture to you.
You open your mail and are extremely offended by what you see. In this situation, you are without a doubt a victim of sexual visual harassment.
This type of visual sexual harassment can make a person feel so uncomfortable they may fear walking to the mailbox from then on. It can be traumatic.
Another type of visual sexual harassment involves technology. Your ex-husband may spend some of their work time going on the internet to download pornographic videos.
He then emailß these videos to you. Perhaps he makes it a point to send you videos of someone who shares your likeness in the hope the two of you will have sex.
There may be a situation where you have to watch the kids at your ex-husband’s house while he’s away. Before he leaves, he covers his walls with images that are sexual in nature.
This could be something like a calendar with pictures of women in bikinis. Even posters put on the walls can fall under the category of visual sexual harassment.
Even though you’re at his house, this can make for a very uncomfortable experience.
Lewd gestures also constitute sexual visual harassment. An example of this would be your spouse gyrating in front of you whenever you cross paths.
Sexual harassment during divorce proceedings and after a divorce has been finalized can be an uncomfortable topic, but it’s important to shine the light on this all too common issue.
Anyone who thinks they are the victim of any form of sexual harassment should contact a lawyer as soon as possible. You may be able to take legal action.
Contact Our Texas Divorce Attorney for Advice Today
JulianJohnson, P.C. offers personal attention to people in need of family law attorneys in Flower Mound, TX, and the surrounding cities.
If you need help with an issue like sexual harassment, Jared Julian can help — he has been helping families for more than a decade and is also a licensed mediator.
This makes him a professional in settling family disputes. As an experienced family mediator, he listens to both sides and makes an informed decision that is in the best interest of all parties.
Mr. Julian and his team of experienced family law attorneys are available for a consult. Contact us today.
When faced with a heated situation such as the dissolution of a marriage, call a lawyer with compassion, knowledge, and experience with the legal system.
