東京大学ハラスメント相談所

Tips for Harassment Prevention

The first step of harassment prevention starts from taking good care of
yourself- mentally, physically and spiritually. Using the points below as your
reference, try to be proactive in creating a safer and more secure environment
as best you can:

Do not miss your signs of unwellness
If you have recognized your signs of unwellness, such as sleep disturbance,
lack of appetite, poor concentration, etc., do not ignore/prolong them.
Take care of your various symptoms early on by getting plenty of rest and/or
taking frequent breaks. Try to be flexible regarding your academic/research/work
schedules: Consider coming in/leaving early, taking PTO/time off as needed to
prioritize your health.

Say “NO.” Assert your feelings.
Should you be assigned an unrealistic, overwhelming amount of work, look
for ways in which you can calmly express your concerns, instead of accepting
seemingly impossible tasks non-assertively. Even when you are subjected to
discriminative, biased or degrading remarks from someone else, they may be
oblivious to the negative impacts of their words and actions on your feelings and
dignity. Try to assert your feelings and convey your discomfort.

Remove yourself from the negative situation, run to a safer place,
　take a little break to recuperate and THINK.
If it is difficult for you to assert yourself and/or directly convey “NO” to someone,
remove yourself from the situation temporarily and secure a time and space in
which you can calmly gather your thoughts (e.g., take a bathroom break, go out
for lunch instead of eating at your desk, etc.). If you have received some
concerning emails, SNS posts, etc., try NOT to be “pressured” or ”cornered” to
reply ASAP. Hasty, reactive replies written without careful thought may cause even
more trouble. Put your reply/action on hold, so that you can have time to consult
someone regarding safe, appropriate and effective communication.

Record the incident as your evidence. 
When you have some concerns about your interaction with a particular person,
save all related texts, emails, call histories, SNS posts, etc., as much as you can.
These records can serve as your evidence and are particularly helpful when you
consult a trustworthy third person about your situation. If the details of your
incident are not easily documented (e.g., a direct statement during a 1:1,
face-to-face conversation, etc.), write them down (e.g., date, time, location, the
course of the incident, the presence/absence of witnesses, effects, your thoughts
and feelings, etc.).

Consider talking to someone you can trust. Consider counseling. 
　Family, friends, colleagues, bosses, counseling agencies on-/off-campus,

the Harassment Counseling Center, etc.