Participatory activities
Recognising sexual harassment
Role play is a powerful tool for developing empathy, allowing individuals to step into different perspectives and experience situations from another's point of view. By simulating real-life scenarios and acting out different roles, participants can learn to understand and share the feelings of others.
Ensure you create a safe place for sharing and for disagreeing well
To get the best out of any practical sessions you run with your employees, it’s important to have a good facilitator.
Role-play
We have put together some examples of scenarios that show sexual harassment in the workplace below. Scenarios, however, should reflect your workplace culture.
Each organisation will have its own social and demographic features and role-playing scenarios should be adapted/developed accordingly.
Choose one of the following scenarios, or write your own, to work on in groups and role-play the scenario.
Consider the following questions
How would you intervene?
Is it safe to intervene?
What are the consequences of not intervening?
How can you best support the victim?
What are the best ways of communicating with people involved?
Would you use words or non-verbal communication?
Once you’ve considered these questions, role play two or three of the possible interventions you’ve discussed.
Scenario One
Every day in the staff room, you see Paul standing close to Maria and making suggestive comments. Maria frequently looks uncomfortable and appears to try and avoid Paul. Paul is Maria’s supervisor and you’re concerned that Maria is worried about saying that Paul’s behaviour is making her uncomfortable.
Scenario One
Every day in the staff room, you see Paul standing close to Maria and making suggestive comments. Maria frequently looks uncomfortable and appears to try and avoid Paul. Paul is Maria’s supervisor and you’re concerned that Maria is worried about saying that Paul’s behaviour is making her uncomfortable.
Scenario One
Every day in the staff room, you see Paul standing close to Maria and making suggestive comments. Maria frequently looks uncomfortable and appears to try and avoid Paul. Paul is Maria’s supervisor and you’re concerned that Maria is worried about saying that Paul’s behaviour is making her uncomfortable.
Scenario Two
Fernando and Annie have been working together for four years and have been a couple for two years. Annie has recently found out that Fernando has cheated on her. To get revenge, she sent out an email to all staff members from Fernando’s inbox with an intimate picture of him attached to the email. Fernando has accused Annie of sending the email. You suspect he’s telling the truth and this is an act of revenge porn.
Scenario Two
Fernando and Annie have been working together for four years and have been a couple for two years. Annie has recently found out that Fernando has cheated on her. To get revenge, she sent out an email to all staff members from Fernando’s inbox with an intimate picture of him attached to the email. Fernando has accused Annie of sending the email. You suspect he’s telling the truth and this is an act of revenge porn.
Scenario Two
Fernando and Annie have been working together for four years and have been a couple for two years. Annie has recently found out that Fernando has cheated on her. To get revenge, she sent out an email to all staff members from Fernando’s inbox with an intimate picture of him attached to the email. Fernando has accused Annie of sending the email. You suspect he’s telling the truth and this is an act of revenge porn.
Scenario Three
You’ve come for a meeting with your line manager. As you arrive you let his PA know you’re here. She nips into his office and as she leaves his office, you see him smack her on the bottom. You have no prior knowledge regarding their relationship, but it makes you very uncomfortable having witnessed such behaviour.
Scenario Three
You’ve come for a meeting with your line manager. As you arrive you let his PA know you’re here. She nips into his office and as she leaves his office, you see him smack her on the bottom. You have no prior knowledge regarding their relationship, but it makes you very uncomfortable having witnessed such behaviour.
Scenario Three
You’ve come for a meeting with your line manager. As you arrive you let his PA know you’re here. She nips into his office and as she leaves his office, you see him smack her on the bottom. You have no prior knowledge regarding their relationship, but it makes you very uncomfortable having witnessed such behaviour.
Scenario Four
Tina is the only female pharmacist working in her team. She is quite new to the team and is soon promoted to oversee all the trainee pharmacists during their intern year. Her colleague, Jerome, was hoping to be promoted into that role. He has now started a rumour that Tina is ‘sleeping her way up to the top’ despite everyone knowing this is likely not true and Jerome is just annoyed he didn’t get promoted.
Scenario Four
Tina is the only female pharmacist working in her team. She is quite new to the team and is soon promoted to oversee all the trainee pharmacists during their intern year. Her colleague, Jerome, was hoping to be promoted into that role. He has now started a rumour that Tina is ‘sleeping her way up to the top’ despite everyone knowing this is likely not true and Jerome is just annoyed he didn’t get promoted.
Scenario Four
Tina is the only female pharmacist working in her team. She is quite new to the team and is soon promoted to oversee all the trainee pharmacists during their intern year. Her colleague, Jerome, was hoping to be promoted into that role. He has now started a rumour that Tina is ‘sleeping her way up to the top’ despite everyone knowing this is likely not true and Jerome is just annoyed he didn’t get promoted.
Scenario Five
Helen is a transgender woman. She frequently gets asked intimate questions about what stage of her transition she is in, which makes her feel embarrassed and singled out, but generally laughs the comments off. However, one day, a colleague follows her into the toilet and says, ‘let me have a look at what you’ve got down there then’. You are in a cubicle when this happens and you hear the whole encounter, but Helen does not report it.
Scenario Five
Helen is a transgender woman. She frequently gets asked intimate questions about what stage of her transition she is in, which makes her feel embarrassed and singled out, but generally laughs the comments off. However, one day, a colleague follows her into the toilet and says, ‘let me have a look at what you’ve got down there then’. You are in a cubicle when this happens and you hear the whole encounter, but Helen does not report it.
Scenario Five
Helen is a transgender woman. She frequently gets asked intimate questions about what stage of her transition she is in, which makes her feel embarrassed and singled out, but generally laughs the comments off. However, one day, a colleague follows her into the toilet and says, ‘let me have a look at what you’ve got down there then’. You are in a cubicle when this happens and you hear the whole encounter, but Helen does not report it.
The toolkit:
Addressing sexual misconduct
Our toolkit will help you start your journey towards addressing sexual misconduct in the workplace.
The toolkit:
Addressing sexual misconduct
Our toolkit will help you start your journey towards developing an active bystander culture.
The toolkit:
Addressing sexual misconduct
Our toolkit will help you start your journey towards developing an active bystander culture.
Explore more toolkits
Explore more toolkits
Explore more toolkits
© 2025 Halsden Centre Limited. A company registered in England & Wales No 15730726
© 2025 Halsden Centre Limited. A company registered in England & Wales No 15730726
© 2025 Halsden Centre Limited. A company registered in England & Wales No 15730726