The key is consent. 

If you don't have consent that your behaviour, words, images or physical contact are OK with someone, then you agree not to do that. Something that might be seen as unwelcome in one environment, may be totally fine if consented to in another. As a group, you should define what's welcome in your own space, but here are some starters to get the dialogue going.

Examples of unwelcome behaviour may include, but are not limited to:

  • Offensive comments related to gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, mental illness, neuro(a)typicality, physical appearance, body size, age, race, nationality, class or religion; including the deliberate misgendering or use of ‘dead’ or rejected names.

  • Sexual harassment or assault, including inappropriate physical contact; unwelcome sexual attention; engaging in any act which involves another person without their explicit consent; gratuitous or off-topic sexual images or behaviour in spaces where they’re not appropriate; or wilfully coercing others to engage in any type of activity, either explicitly or through techniques such as bargaining, withholding, or other forms of peer pressure.

  • Actions or behaviours that put others at risk, including exposing minors to adult behaviour or activities.

  • Inappropriate social contact, such as requesting/assuming inappropriate levels of intimacy with others; deliberate intimidation, stalking or following; sustained disruption or interruption of conversations or an event; or continued one-on-one communication after requests to cease.

  • Inappropriate use of communication, such as social media for purposes of harassment, shaming or intimidation including trollinggriefing and flaming; tagging or sharing photographs or recordings that may compromise someone's right to privacy; deliberate “outing” of any aspect of a person’s identity without their consent (except as necessary to protect vulnerable people from intentional abuse); or other violations of privacy, such as sharing/publication of non-harassing private communication.

  • Judgemental comments regarding a person’s lifestyle choices and practices, including those related to food, health, parenting, politics, drugs and employment.

  • Threats or acts of violence, or incitement of violence towards any individual, including encouraging a person to engage in self-harm.

  • Advocating for, or encouraging, any of the above behaviour.


See real-life examples: