Introduction
It is very distressing to understand since so many years people are suffering in different ways that we had to categorize them under different headings. Women, in general, are more prone to dangers like rape, harassment, and violence. In the USA, every 1 out of 6 women has faced an attempt of rape once in their life. If you talk about harassment, all women have faced it directly or indirectly. The reason why women are vulnerable to such behavior is that it has been rooted in our culture and personalities. Before the thought of women’s empowerment aroused in the hearts of females, they had always been given the submissive role to play, which they had to accept. Let us know about ‘What Qualifies As A Harassment Charge?’.
Now, breaking the walls when women have become independent, may not be accepted by people (including fellow females). Do not think that this world is safe for men. The cases of harassment of men are also increasing day by day. A harasser may target a male or female according to their sexual preferences similarly, a harasser could be a male or female. The gender of criminal and victim doesn’t matter, what matters is that it is a crime and an ashaming act.
What qualifies as a harassment charge?
Harassment can be as big as an attempt to rape and as small as just a comment or joke. Any kind of unwanted sexual touch or appeal to touch unwantedly, any kind of sexual comment, joke or action, forcing someone to touch any body part or watch pornography, and other ways to do any unwanted sexual conducts come under harassment and are liable to be tried in court. Nowadays, as there is increased use of various social media platforms, cybercrime is also increasing. Harassers can also target people through their social media accounts with malicious comments, chats, digital media, and fake accounts. They can also hide their identity and harass people, which has become a very serious problem in the world.
Punishments against Harassment
The government is sensitive to crimes like harassment and does not take them lightly. To reduce harassment there are several kinds of punishments for harassment in the USA. These punishments are according to the severity of the crime committed by the harassers. The different types of punishments to bring justice to the victims of harassment are:
- Misdemeanour
It is a comparatively light punishment given to harassers with a less severe crime or if it’s their first time committing such a shameful act. Generally, such harassers are charged with a year or less in jail.
- Felony Conviction
Harasser that commits more severe crimes is punished under Felony Conviction. These crimes have a long-lasting impact or may even be for life. It can also result in death or suffering. According to the severity, the harasser is liable to be imprisoned for 5 to 10 years.
- Civil Harassment Restraining Order
If a case is more severe where the victim is in danger and scared that the harasser might try to harm him or her while he or she is seeking justice the victim can go for Civil Harassment Restraining Order. Civil court undersea cases regarding this. A harasser cannot contact the victim whether it is physical or verbal and if he does so, he is liable to go to jail or be tried for Felony Conviction.
- Punishment for cyberbullying
Cyberbullying is becoming a severe problem day by day. To prevent cyber crimes like harassment through malicious comments, chats, digital media, etc., the government has made strict reforms that target directly the harasser. It is important to note that you cannot hide your identity under fake accounts because there are devices to detect your true identity through your IP address.
Conclusion
Rather than seeking justice when the damage is done, people should try to prevent such crimes from happening. The environment you live in, your friends, family, and society do have a severe impact on your personality. They are the ones you learn everything from. You observe their decisions and lifestyle and comprehend it without any judgment. To prevent such kinds of crimes, it is crucial to start with your own family and society. It is vital to stop any unethical thinking, which is breeding in the mind and behavior of our future generation. We should spread awareness about such crimes to prevent them from happening.
FAQs
- What happens when you get charged with harassment?
It all depends on the degree of harassment you have done or are in charge of. If it is not much severe, the police might let you go and charge a fine or punish you with a year or less in jail, however if you commit a severe crime or are charged with a great degree of harassment, punishment can be severe. You can be punished with 5 to 10 years of prison with a fine.
