Yahneake Sterling, Staff Reporter

You are standing in the corner and you spot a handsome guy. You make eye contact, look away and make eye contact again. Smile. Look away. Look toward him again, this time staring continuously, slowly pulling him towards you with your eyes. Suddenly, he's next to you and you both say "Hi".

That is Chantal Black'sclassic flirtatious move, it works on every man she flirts with. She calls herself 'the queen of flirt.'

The art of flirtation has no limits. Whether your move is a subtle glance, the wink of an eye, a one-liner or direct body language, people flirt in many places, but there could be consequences.

What is flirting?

The Oxford dictionary says 'flirt' means: to behave in a frivolously amorous way.

Flirting in and of itself can be harmless according to behavioural scientist, Dr. Grace Kelly.

"There is nothing wrong with wanting to attract the opposite sex. It's a natural part of our development," Dr. Kelly notes.

People flirt for different reasons, Dr. Kelly points out. Some may flirt to attract and then formalise a serious relationship, while others may flirt to see how many persons of the opposite sex they can get to like them and this can lead to usury, abuse and other serious consequences.

Additionally, Dr. Kelly says it is not recommended that flirting be carried out in a professional environment as it can cause one to lose respect for another and eventually lead to the breakdown of a professional relationship if the desires are not met. This causes risk especially for persons in a supervisory role.

While some persons may lose their jobs in this instance, others may earn promotions. "With that kind of behaviour, it may cause the individual to respond to them and they may use a barter system which is very common and unfortunate ... it becomes an expensive venture," Dr. Kelly adds.

Disadvantages to flirting in the workplace, according to Dr. Kelly, include:

Ill-feelings (if it doesn't go the way the party wishes).

Biases (if the wishes are mutual).

Special treatment which can affect productivity.

Chantal says while she tries hard not to flirt in the workplace, sometimes there is a handsome co-worker and she flirts with him, but her intention is never to start something serious.

"Sometimes I flirt because I want to be mischievous, sometimes there is an interest," she says.

"Other times I flirt because I want to feel sexy, and getting the response that I want boosts my confidence."

Psychological problem

She, however, admits that there are consequences, such as lack of trust if you are in a relationship.

There have also been times when flirting led to complications after men she teased became annoying in their advances after she lost interest.

According to Dr. Kelly, this sort of behaviour points to a psychological problem. It is also an indication of a lack of self-esteem.

"I would say to that individual be very careful and probably take time out to go see a therapist to find out what it is she is looking for, what need is there that needs to be filled that she feels can be filled by this act and work on it so that she can become appropriate," Dr. Kelly says.

*Name changed