Keio University, in its capacity both as an international educational, research, and healthcare institution and as an organization which seeks to be a source of honorable character and a paragon of intellect and morals, has a no tolerance policy toward all forms of harassment.
The following guidelines have been drawn up in an effort to prevent harassment.
Harassment is a new concept in Japan, as is made clear by the lack of a suitable Japanese equivalent (ハラスメント). Social pleasantries or unconscious turns of speech which were in the past thought of as “a matter of course,” as well as expressions relating to gender roles or values, may constitute harassment if they cause discomfort to the person or third party at whom they are directed. Whether intended or not, the potential exists for anyone to become a perpetrator of harassment.
Keio University is an educational, research, and healthcare institution where people from diverse standpoints, including faculty and staff members, students, and schoolchildren as well as persons with diverse nationalities, ethnicities, religions, and cultural backgrounds from various regions of the globe, are engaged in its educational, research, and other activities. There is a high potential for harassment to occur in such an environment due to the diversity of thinking and values of each person.
These guidelines have been designed to help prevent harassment by elucidating the kinds of behaviors which constitute harassment from an international perspective, while at the same time laying out details on how to deal with and resolve problems in the unfortunate cases where problems have arisen. They are intended to facilitate an environment in which all persons connected to Keio University can carry out their work duties in comfort.
While you may often have encountered the terms “sexual harassment” and “power harassment,” these do not cover the full extent of what can constitute harassment. Any act which infringes on the human rights of another or makes people uncomfortable may fall under the umbrella of harassment. While there are many names for the types of harassment which may occur, in reality their boundaries are not clearly defined and co-occurring harassment types also exist.
| Sexual Harassment |
This is abbreviated as “sekuhara [セクハラ]” in Japanese. It is most often encountered in the misleading contexts of newspapers and magazines, including accounts of indecent behaviors, entanglements involving the opposite sex, and criminal offenses, meaning that there is often confusion about its definition. In reality, it is not confined to such lurid contexts, and unconscious speech and behavior which was previously considered a matter of course can be harassment if it makes the person or third party to whom it is directed feel uncomfortable. At Keio University, sexual harassment may take forms such as those outlined below. Sexual harassment constitutes “verbal behaviors or acts of a sexual nature which, against the will of the receiving party, lead to disadvantages to study, research, or work (value type) or worsen the study, research, or work environment (environmental type).” Such verbal behaviors and acts are not only confined to those from men to women but may also be directed at men by women and between the same sex. Furthermore, the imposition of inflexible ways of thinking based on social and cultural gender norms as well as verbal behaviors or acts which evidence a lack of consideration for sexual minorities is also considered harassment. |
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| Academic Harassment | This is abbreviated as “akahara [アカハラ]” in Japanese. This is the collective name for harassment which occurs at educational and research institutions. It may take various forms not only limited to power harassment with its origin in the superiority of one’s position but also sexual and alcohol harassment. |
| Power Harassment | This is abbreviated as “pawahara [パワハラ]” in Japanese. At Keio University, power harassment may take forms such as those outlined below.
“Acts which cause mental and physical distress or worsen the study, research, or work environment in excess of the appropriate bounds, with their origin in considerations of superiority, including differences in professional position or rank. Superiority is .... not confined to that which arises between persons in positions of higher authority over persons in positions of lower authority, but also takes in the inverse, as well as the various ways in which superiority can be expressed, including differences in the numbers of people, knowledge, and experience which may arise even if the persons involved are colleagues with comparative levels of authority. Appropriate bounds refers to ... a verbal behavior or act will not be considered power harassment in cases where it is within the appropriate scope of work duties, even if feelings of dissatisfaction arise from necessary instructions, warnings, or guidance. |
| Alcohol Harassment | This is abbreviated as “aruhara [アルハラ]” in Japanese. Alcohol harassment refers to verbal behaviors or acts relating to drinking alcohol which, whether or not they are intended to be so, are harmful to or make uncomfortable the person at whom they are aimed, such as coercion to drink alcohol or down drinks in one go. It involves using one’s relationship of superiority due to higher or lower rank or perceptions of affiliation, and can also occur during exchanges between various persons for “schooling or work.” |
| Maternity (Paternity) Harassment |
This refers to harming the work, research, or employment environment of women who have become pregnant or given birth, or men or women who have applied for or availed of childcare leave. Harassment can also be directed toward the state of pregnancy itself or the use of related systems or schemes. Verbal behavior or actions which are necessary when viewed objectively from the standpoint of divisions of duties and safety considerations are not regarded as constituting maternity (paternity) harassment. |
| Care Harassment | Another form of harassment is that directed toward the state of providing care for family members and the use of related systems and schemes. Verbal behavior or actions which are necessary when viewed objectively from the standpoint of divisions of duties and safety considerations are not regarded as constituting maternity (paternity) harassment. |
It can be difficult to decide what constitutes harassment, as each individual perceives matters in different ways. If you are unable to decide if something might be considered harassment, please proceed on the assumption that your words or actions are directed toward friends or family members or people you otherwise care about. If you feel uncomfortable about the content of such words or actions, you may assume that there is a high possibility that they could be considered harassment.
Below are some possible examples of harassment
・Saying something relating to an individual’s privacy or writing similar on a website or social media platform.
・Sending images which make people uncomfortable by e-mail.
・Holding hands or physical contact at a drinking party.
・Hanging a nude poster or making obscene speeches in the workplace or room where a student group meets.
Showing or having on display an obscene website.
・A person who is in a managerial or teaching position at a seminar or in the workplace clearly discriminates against a specific person so as to put them at a disadvantage Conversely, such a person gives favors or preferential treatment to an individual, which leaves others with a sense of injustice.
・Sexist remarks such as “You just can’t talk to women” or “What kind of a man are you.”
・Not allowing for individual differences, and assigning duties in a student group or at a workplace on the basis of gender alone.
・Excessive reprimands over long periods or angry outbursts which attack a person’s character.
・Having drinking parties with no allowances for people who choose not to or are unable to drink alcohol.
・Talking about and teasing someone about their age or appearance.
・Asking personal questions about sexual experiences or speaking about one’s own experiences.
・Making persistent bodily contact.
・Writing sexual rumors or slanders on social media, etc.
・Decisions or discrimination based on gender roles.
・Persistently repeating questions that are excessively intrusive on personal privacy.
・Harassing somebody based on their use of the maternity, childbirth, childcare, or nursing care systems.
・Giving someone a hard time or badmouthing a person to others based on personal likes or dislikes.
・Showering someone with insults in front of others or repeatedly scolding them over a long period of time.
・Making statements which deny a person’s character.
・Not providing necessary guidance on work duties or research, etc., without a legitimate reason.
・Compelling persons to complete work duties or research that are clearly unrealistic.
・Sending instructions by e-mail or LINE, etc., or pressing for a reply with no consideration to the time.
・Delaying instructions to the extent that this interferes with work duties or schooling.
・Inappropriate interventions and exerting of influence on employment or employment contracts based on individual preferences.
・Coercion to drink alcohol or intentionally getting someone drunk, and a lack of consideration for people who cannot or choose not to drink alcohol.
・Nuisance behavior while under the influence of alcohol.
・Verbal behavior or acts which are inconsiderate of sexual minorities, different cultures, religions, disabilities, etc.
In addition to the above, even if in Japan something might be considered a matter of course, this may be viewed as harassment in other countries due to cultural differences. Meanwhile, it is also conversely conceivable that Japanese people may be made to feel uncomfortable with the customs and behaviors of people from other countries.
Harassment is never the fault of the person experiencing it. It is important for both the person experiencing harassment and the alleged perpetrator that the victim does not blame themselves or put up with the situation, and that they clearly convey to the person involved that they are uncomfortable with a particular verbal behavior or act. Please endeavor to act before the situation escalates.
Harassment is a violation of human rights. Mutual understanding of what constitutes harassment and agreeing to behave appropriately are highly conducive to the prevention of harassment. We encourage you to try to understand one another’s respective standpoints, and to build healthy relationships which maintain an appropriate sense of distance, so as to maintain and improve environments in which each person can work in peace of mind.