Both sexual harassment and assault are illegal, and both have severe consequences. However, sexual harassment is a civil offense and has civil consequences, while sexual assault is a criminal offense, and has criminal consequences… as well as potential civil consequences.

 

Both offenses involve unwanted sexual acts or attention, and sometimes the line between the two can become surprisingly blurry. Below, we review what exactly constitutes each type of offense and the civil and/or criminal consequences you could face,