Harassment Behavior Research Articles

Sustainably changing small traders' harassment behaviors – A theoretical framework

The goal of the paper was to put forward a theoretical model for sustainably changing small traders' harassment behaviors and to apply it to a destination that has been grappling with the problem for decades. One hundred and eighty-one newspaper articles, 37 annual tourism reports, and 20 other government documents were reviewed to determine Jamaica's visitor harassment mitigation initiatives and activities from 1957 to 2013. Also, seven leaders from 14 of the island's craft markets were interviewed to determine the effects of these programs on their constituents' harassment behaviors. The archives and interview transcripts were analyzed using thematic content analysis. The case analysis revealed that while Jamaica had initiatives likely to discourage their small independent traders' engagement in harassment behaviors, the initiatives developed to strengthen their knowledge of the desired less aggressive trading behaviors had deficiencies likely to limit their engagement in these behaviors. The framework had implicationsfor how measures to curtail visitor harassment are developed and tested.

The Role of Personality Characteristics and Psychological Harassment Behaviors Which Employees Are Exposed on Work Alienation

The Role of Personality Characteristics and Psychological Harassment Behaviors Which Employees Are Exposed on Work Alienation

Anti-snake behaviour in a facultative cooperative breeder, the Cape ground squirrel

Predator harassment is an anti-predator behaviour that may increase an individual’s risk of predation, as individuals approach, threaten and harass a potential predator, yet this behaviour is still not well understood. The Cape ground squirrel (Xerus inauris) is a highly social facultative cooperative breeder from southern Africa that harasses several species of venomous snakes. We examined whether harassment was part of alloparental care by comparing harassment behaviours among different age and sex classes in Cape ground squirrel social groups. We also assessed how individuals adjusted their behaviour dependent on levels of risk by examining the Cape ground squirrel’s harassment behaviour among non-venomous, and two species of venomous snakes. We found adult females with emerged juvenile offspring took the most risk, harassing for longer durations and at higher intensities than other group members, suggesting that snake harassment was a maternal behaviour. Females with juvenile offspring only harassed the highest risk elapid snake but increased vigilance and inspection with increasing snake risk suggesting that the Cape ground squirrel can discriminate between different types of snake predators.

Humor or sexual harassment?:The frame analysis of workplace socio-sexual behavior

Current understanding of sexual harassment at work is limited by simplistic assumptions about how sexualized and hostile work environments develop. Drawing from theories of frame analysis, social interactionism, and the sexual harassment literature, we develop theory about complex socio-sexual interactions in the workplace. Specifically, we examine the role of humor in sex-based exchanges among coworkers and the development of sexualized and potentially hostile work environments. We provide propositions to guide future research on workplace sexual harassment and socio-sexual behavior.

"Effects of Gender Harassment on Organizational Trust, Workgroup Effectiveness and Cohesion"

Sexual harassment is a serious problem in the workplace. There is less research on gender harassment, a subgroup of sexual harassment behavior involving hostile and degrading jokes, statements and behaviors. Gender harassment can lead to negative outcomes, and this problem does not just affect individuals, but also extends to teams. To investigate the relationship between gender harassment and team outcomes, we modeled how gender harassment in the military affects perceptions of team cohesion and team effectiveness in women using an Organizational Climate Survey focused on equal opportunity and organizational effectiveness. Over 750,000 military personnel are part of the sample. Organizational trust was found to be a mediator of this relationship. Nested model comparison was used to determine the relative improvement in fit for the partial mediation model over that of the full mediation model. Gender harassment, which typically involves jokes, has not received as much attention as sexual advances and quid pro quo behavior, but can have extremely negative consequences, as the current model illustrates.

The Harassment of Queensland Members of Parliament: A Mental Health Concern

International research suggests that problematic approaches and attacks on politicians are frequently perpetrated by individuals with severe mental illness who are either unknown to mental health services or who have disengaged from care. The current study investigated the extent of harassing behaviours towards Queensland State Parliamentarians and of perceived mental illness in their harassers. An anonymous survey was sent to all 89 Queensland Members of Parliament exploring a range of harassment behaviours. Responses were received from 48% of parliamentarians, 93% of whom reported at least one form of harassment. The most common intrusions were alarming behaviour at the electoral office and inappropriate correspondence or telephone calls, but threats to harm and attempted or actual physical assault were also reported. Almost half the perpetrators were thought to be mentally ill. These findings support a role for mental health intervention in managing risk to politicians and catalysing care for those who pursue them.

Mobbing en trabajadores latinoamericanos empleados en España: diferencias en la percepción de acoso en función del género

En este artículo se lleva a cabo un estudio piloto sobre la percepción del acoso laboral que han sufrido trabajadores latinoamericanos empleados en España y que solicitaron ayuda a la “Plataforma contra los Riesgos Psicosociales y la Discriminación Laboral de la Comunidad de Madrid” durante el periodo 2003-2012. Para ello se ha contado con una muestra de 74 mujeres y 61 hombres que cumplimentaron un instrumento de medida del acoso laboral (LIPT60). El objetivo fue comprobar si las mujeres sufren mayor acoso laboral que los hombres, y en caso de confirmarlo, si existe diferencias en el tipo de acoso percibido. Los resultados obtenidos indican que las mujeres perciben mayor número de conductas de acoso, así como también, una mayor intensidad. Asimismo, las mujeres informan sobre mayores niveles de intimidación manifiesta, desprestigio personal, bloqueo en la comunicación y entorpecimiento en el progreso laboral. Los resultados obtenidos sugieren que las mujeres son acosadas de un modo cualitativamente distinto que los hombres.

Stalking by Patients

Stalking involves recurrent unwanted communication, harassment, and intrusive behaviors. The aim of this study was to examine physicians' experiences of being stalked by their patients, with particular attention to the emotional impact on the physicians and their actions taken. A questionnaire designed to study the nature and the impact of stalking experiences among physicians was sent to 3159 randomly chosen physicians in the Greater Toronto Area. Approximately 15% (14.9%) of the 1190 physicians who responded reported having been stalked. The physicians reported feeling angry, frustrated, anxious, frightened, lacking control, and helpless. The physicians coped in a number of ways including terminating the physician-patient relationship, but many just ignored the problem. Most had no previous knowledge about stalking. Physicians experience a range of emotions as a result of being a victim of stalking. In view of the prevalence and the impact, physicians may benefit from education to help prepare them for the possibility of being stalked.

Group Work Experiences

Research suggests that the majority of students in HE derive a positive experience of group work during their studies (Burdett, 2003; Orr, 2010, Payne et al, 2006; Maiden & Perry, 2012; Walker, 2001), although there are differences between students in the individual time and effort they invest. The perceptions of higher-contributing students have been documented (Orr, 2010), although the experience of students who contribute less has yet to be systematically explored. An on-line questionnaire, developed to assess students’ experience of group work, was administered to 58 undergraduate and postgraduate social science students. The questionnaire explored the following in relation to group work: (1) positive aspects and skill development; (2) negative experiences; (3) extent of students’ own contribution; (4) experience of bullying and harassment behaviours. Open-ended, qualitative items were also included to supplement the questionnaire data. In line with previous research, the majority of the sample rated their group work experience positively, identifying a range of benefits from this process. Students’ explanations for reduced input to group work ranged from a preference for independent work to the experience of negative interactions between group members, including bullying behaviour. Implications of the findings are discussed, including the need for strategies to safeguard against bullying behaviour in-group work .

Perceptions of NIRSA Employees Relating to the Presence of Sexual Harassment and Related Offensive Behavior (Quid Pro Quo) within College Recreation Department Workplaces

This article summarizes the responses of NIRSA employees in terms of their perceptions of specific unwanted sexual harassment activities and behavior and the extent to which a quid pro quo (sex for favors) environment or situation exists within their respective work places. This is the second part of a four-part North American investigation of College Recreation Departments Workplaces on the subject of sexual harassment in the workplace. Examination and comparison of the data were made in terms of a) whether such behavior takes place, b) the types (examples) of sexual behaviors deemed to be part of quid pro quo expectations of sexual favors, as well as c) the frequencies of such behavior. Analysis of the data was based on the respondent's gender, gender of their supervisor, and marital status. The study revealed that sexual harassments conduct in terms of quid pro quo behavior was not thought to exist in any meaningful manner in the college recreational programs as perceived by those individuals employed (in a variety of positions and areas of responsibilities) within such departments.

Olfactory Snake‐Predator Discrimination in the Cape Ground Squirrel

AbstractSmall mammals have a number of means to detect and avoid predators, including visual, auditory and olfactory cues. Olfactory cues are particularly important for nocturnal or fossorial species where visual cues would not be as reliable. The Cape ground squirrel (Xerus inauris) is a semi‐fossorial, diurnal mammal from southern Africa. Cape ground squirrels encounter multiple species of predatory snake that pursue individuals underground where visual and social cues are limited. We assessed whether Cape ground squirrels use odours to discriminate between snakes by presenting a non‐venomous snake, a venomous snake and a control odour collected on polyethylene cubes to 11 adult female squirrels from 11 different social groups. Cape ground squirrels responded by inspecting the cube, displaying snake harassment–associated behaviours and decreasing time spent in close proximity to snake odours when compared with a control. They also displayed discrimination between two snake species by increasing the frequency of cube inspection and increasing harassment behaviours with venomous snake odours when compared with non‐venomous snake odours. We conclude that Cape ground squirrels respond with snake‐specific antipredator behaviours when presented olfactory cues alone. Olfactory discrimination may be maintained by the decreased utility of other methods of predator detection: sight and group detection, in below‐ground encounters.

Cyberbullying assessment instruments: A systematic review

Although several instruments to assess cyberbullying have been developed, there is nevertheless a lack of knowledge about their psychometric properties. The aim of the present systematic review is to provide a representative overview of the current instruments designed to assess cyberbullying. Further, emphasis will be placed on the structural and psychometric properties of cyberbullying instruments, such as validity and reliability, as well as their conceptual and definitional bases. It will also provide criteria for readers to evaluate and choose instruments according to their own aims. A systematic literature review, limited to publications published prior to October 2010, generated 636 citations. A total of 61 publications fulfilled the delineated selection criteria and were included in the review, resulting in 44 instruments. Following a rater training, relevant information was coded by using a structured coding manual. The raters were the nine authors of this review. Almost half of the instruments included in this review do not use the concept of cyberbullying. The constructs measured by the instruments range from internet harassment behavior to electronic bullying behavior to cyberbullying. Even though many of the authors use other concepts than cyberbullying they claim that their instruments do measure it. For the purpose of this systematic review, we have chosen to categorize them as two different groups, cyberbullying instruments and related instruments. Additionally, most of the included instruments had limited reports of reliability and validity testing. The systematic review reveals a need for investigating the validity and reliability of most of the existing instruments, and resolving the conceptual and definitional fluctuations related to cyberbullying.

The salience of social referents: A field experiment on collective norms and harassment behavior in a school social network.

Persistent, widespread harassment in schools can be understood as a product of collective school norms that deem harassment, and behavior allowing harassment to escalate, as typical and even desirable. Thus, one approach to reducing harassment is to change students' perceptions of these collective norms. Theory suggests that the public behavior of highly connected and chronically salient actors in a group, called social referents, may provide influential cues for individuals' perception of collective norms. Using repeated, complete social network surveys of a public high school, we demonstrate that changing the public behavior of a randomly assigned subset of student social referents changes their peers' perceptions of school collective norms and their harassment behavior. Social referents exert their influence over peers' perceptions of collective norms through the mechanism of everyday social interaction, particularly interaction that is frequent and personally motivated, in contrast to interaction shaped by institutional channels like shared classes. These findings clarify the development of collective social norms: They depend on certain patterns of and motivations for social interactions within groups across time, and are not static but constantly reshaped and reproduced through these interactions. Understanding this process creates opportunities for changing collective norms and behavior.

Buying time for colony mates: the anti-predatory function of soldiers in the eusocial aphid Ceratovacuna japonica (Homoptera, Hormaphidinae)

Eusocial aphids produce sterile individuals (soldiers) that specialize in colony protection. Killing predators is often considered the main function of soldiers. In this study, we tested the effect of harassment by soldiers of a eusocial aphid, Ceratovacuna japonica (Homoptera, Hormaphidinae), on predation by this species’ natural enemy, the larvae of Atkinsonia ignipicta (Lepidoptera, Stathmopodidae). We experimentally introduced some aphids and a predator to petri dishes and compared the survivorship of first-instar reproductives in the presence and absence of soldiers. We showed that soldiers can reduce the rate of predation on their colony mates without killing the predators. When predators encountered soldiers, they did not attempt to prey on them. Instead, they evaded them and often started to make a nest by spinning silken threads. The soldiers, in contrast, waved their forelegs and attacked the predator, and they sometimes succeeded in grasping the predator’s body. Because the predator used its mandibles to remove any soldier that succeeded in grasping its body, the soldier did not kill the predator. The reduction of predation was apparently caused by the delay of predation resulting from the harassment behavior of the soldiers. In eusocial aphids, a defensive strategy that delays predation may buy the soldiers’ colony mates time to reproduce or to escape from the predator.

Variables psicosociales y riesgo de violencia grave en parejas con abuso de sustancias tóxicas y maltrato previo [Psychosocial variables and risk of severe violence in couples with substance abuse and previous maltreatment

The aim of this ex post facto study was to investigate what variables are related to severe intimate partner violence (IPV), in a sample of 90 couples attending a community treatment program for drug abusers. Multiple variables were analyzed: Sociodemographic characteristics, couple’s relationship, maltreatment circumstances, some characteristics of aggressors and victims, as well as sexual, physical or psychological abuses and type of substance abuse. Results showed high scores in the severe IPV risk prediction scale. The victims were classified as high-risk (26%), moderate-risk (59%) and low-risk (15%), depending on the cutoff scores in the revised scale. The variables more related to risk severe violence of IPV were: Couples in which both use drugs or both heavy drinking of alcohol, heroin abuse by the perpetrator, presence of sexual abuse, lack of social and family support and less economic autonomy from the victims, and others characteristics of the aggressor (ie., harassment behaviors, violates a restraining order) and maltreatment circumstances. The variables identified could be useful in predicting the risk of lethal or severe violence in relationships where one or both members have problems with drugs.

Teaching Note: James Michaels (A) and (B)

This teaching note is an accompaniment to the case “James Michaels (A) and (B).” It is designed specifically for management educators to use as a guide when assigning the aforementioned case for written analyses and class discussion. In addition to a detailed synopsis and a revealing epilogue, specific teaching strategies based on the problem-based learning (PBL) method are presented. The case itself provides students a unique situation, yet one that is applicable to all types of organizational contexts. With this teaching note, management educators can further enhance their students' learning and appreciation for the topics of employment law, homophobic harassment, organizational justice, power dynamics, or political behavior, among others. The versatility of this case invites the exploration of other applicable topics in human resource management, organizational behavior, and leadership that may emerge from student inquiry and problem solving.

Differential Effects of Gender on Perceptions of Stalking and Harassment Behavior

This study examined the effect of gender on perceptions of stalking following the breakup of a romantic relationship. Three hundred forty-nine university students were presented with 11 brief scenarios in which the gender of the target and pursuer of the harassment behavior were systematically varied. Participants were asked to rate the degree to which they considered the behavior stalking, how concerned they would be if this was happening to a friend, and the likelihood that they would recommend help seeking. Participants were significantly more likely to express concern for and to recommend both informal and formal help seeking when the scenarios described a man stalking a woman. This research is important in understanding factors that influence perceptions of stalking and harassment, which may have repercussions for the legislation and enforcement of stalking laws.

The effects of male harassment on mating duration in the seed bug, Togo hemipterus

AbstractHarassment on mating pairs by solitary males is usually considered an attempt by the male to (1) take over the female, (2) guard the female against further insemination (when the solitary male has previously copulated with this female), or (3) influence mating duration. Paired males of a seed bug repel harassment on mating pairs by solitary males by firmly grasping females using their legs and/or genital claspers; in this way, mating duration is prolonged. Male fertilization success increases as mating duration increases. Males of the seed bug, Togo hemipterus (Scott) (Heteroptera: Lygaeidae), use seminal substances to inhibit female remating. These substances induce protracted female refractory periods and are transferred to the females in a time‐dependent manner. Consequently, mating duration has important effects on fitness in this species. We observed harassment on T. hemipterus mating pairs by solitary males, and examined conflicts between paired and solitary males over mating duration. None of the solitary males were able to take over a mating female, and this may be due to the unique male genital structure in this species. All conflicts over mating duration resulted in wins by the paired males over the solitary males. Paired males prolonged mating durations, whereas severe harassment on mating pairs by solitary males shortened durations. We show that even though there is no immediate reward for the solitary male (i.e., it is unable to take over the mating female), this harassment behavior may be adaptive.

Racial Harassment, Ethnic Concentration, and Economic Conditions*

AbstractIn this paper, we analyse the association between the spatial concentration of ethnic minorities and racial harassment. Ethnic concentration relates to racial harassment through at least three channels: hostility in the attitudes of majority individuals that finds expression in harassment behaviour, the probability that minority individuals meet majority individuals, and the cost of expressing hostility aggressively. Thus, harassment cannot simply be modelled as a stronger form of hostility. Using unique data for Britain, we show that, in areas of higher local ethnic concentration, experience of harassment is lower, even though hostility on the side of the majority population is not.

A personality process model of cyber harassment

Cyber harassment is a costly concern for organisations but little is known about the motivations behind individuals who engage in this behaviour. This article proposes a personality process model of cyber harassment in an attempt to add to the theoretical foundation in this area and stimulate additional research on this issue. Drawing from the general aggression model (Anderson and Bushman, 2002), the Dark Triad personality traits (Paulhus and Williams, 2002), and the cognitive-affective personality system theory (Mischel and Shoda, 1995), this model proposes that both situational triggering events and individual characteristics come together to produce cyber harassment. Specifically, the model proposes that Dark Triad characteristics (particularly narcissism and psychopathy) combined with particular triggering events (specifically ego threats and physical threats) lead to patterns of cognitive and affective processing that ultimately result in corporate cyber harassment behaviours. After detailing these proposed pathways associated with harassment, theoretical contributions as well as research and practical implications of the model are discussed.