Perceptions Of Harassment Research Articles

Gender Differences in College Students’ Perceptions of Same-Sex Sexual Harassment: The Influence of Physical Attractiveness and Attitudes Toward Lesbians and Gay Men

This study examined college students’ perceptions of same-sex harassment as a function of the observer’s gender, the initiator’s physical attractiveness, and observers’ attitudes toward lesbians and gay men. Ninety-six college students read a scenario portraying a professor’s sexual advances toward a student. The Perception of Harassment Questionnaire and the Attitudes Toward Lesbians and Gay Men Scale were completed. Male and female students had similar perceptions of harassment. Unattractive professors were perceived to be more harassing, especially by male students. Students with negative attitudes toward homosexuality perceived higher levels of harassment. These results have important implications for charges of same-sex harassment in academia.

Still Stable After All These Years: Perceptions of Sexual Harassment in Academic Contexts

ABSTRACT This research examined perceptions of sexual harassment in academic contexts using data sets collected in 1990 (Time 1) and 2000 (Time 2). We assessed the influence of two individual variables—gender and gender role—and one contextual variable—power of the harasser—on perceptions of harassment. When the harasser was a higher-power individual, participants perceived more vignettes as examples of sexual harassment, viewed female targets more positively, and evaluated male harassers more negatively. Contrary to prediction, participants viewed male harassers less negatively at Time 2 than at Time 1. Despite increased media attention and educational interventions, comparisons to the earlier findings highlight remarkable stability in perceptions of harassment over time.

Workplace Sexual Harassment Perceptions in the Turkish Context and the Role of Individual Differences

The major purpose of this study was to examine perceptions of workplace sexual harassment in the Turkish context. In Study 1, 53 working women were interviewed to identify culture-relevant behaviors that are considered to be sexual harassment. In Study 2, the factor structure of perceptions was explored. In addition, the way in which these perceptions are related to personal variables (i.e. gender role attitudes, self-esteem, and negative affectivity) was investigated. Participants were 353 women currently employed at various organisations. Five factors were identified: sexist hostility, insinuation of interest, sexual hostility, physical sexual offense, and sexual bribery and coercion. Each factor was regressed on the personal variables. After controlling for relevant demographic and organisational variables, gender role attitudes, self-esteem, and negative affectivity predicted sexual harassment perceptions. Specifically, negative affectivity predicted milder forms of harassment, attitudes predicted factors that are considered more severe, and self-esteem predicted all factors but sexist hostility. The extent to which sexual harassment manifestations are universal and how certain manifestations that appeared in the Turkish context broaden the scope of sexual harassment are discussed by referring to the US literature. L’objectif central de cette recherche était l’étude de la perception du harcèlement sexuel au travail en Turquie. Dans une première phase, on a interviewé 53 salariées pour déterminer les comportements relevant du harcèlement sexuel dans ce contexte culturel. Dans une deuxième phase, on a recherché la structure factorielle des perceptions. On a aussi étudié les liens de ces perceptions avec des variables personnelles (Attitudes en rapport avec le rôle découlant du genre, estime de soi et affectivité négative). Les sujets étaient 353 femmes employées dans diverses organisations. Cinq facteurs sont apparus : hostilité sexiste, attirance sous-entendue, hostilité sexuelle, agression sexuelle physique, coercition et corruption sexuelles. Chaque facteur a subi une analyse de régression sur les variables personnelles. En contrôlant de façon appropriée les variables démographiques et organisationnelles, les attitudes en rapport avec le rôle découlant du genre, l’estime de soi et l’affectivité négative prédisent la perception du harcèlement sexuel. En particulier, l’affectivité négative prédit les formes légères de harcèlement, les attitudes prédisent les facteurs considérés comme plus graves et l’estime de soi prédit tous les facteurs sauf l’hostilité sexiste. On discute à partir de la littérature américaine de l’universalité du harcèlement sexuel et du fait que certaines manifestations propres à la Turquie élargissent le champ de ce harcèlement.

College Students' Perceptions of Intimate Partner Cyber Harassment

College Students' Perceptions of Intimate Partner Cyber Harassment

Listening to Neglected Voices: Hmong and Public Lands in Minnesota and Wisconsin

Natural resource managers need to understand the cultures and concerns of ethnic minority communities in order to serve them effectively. The Hmong are an Asian ethnic group that is heavily involved in natural resource-related activities but has been largely overlooked by social scientists. We conducted a series of five focus groups with Hmong Americans in Minnesota and Wisconsin, exploring their experiences and perspectives on public lands. Our participants revealed deep cultural and personal connections with the natural world and the importance of public lands to many Hmong. But we also heard about profound problems and concerns. Perceptions of racism, discrimination, and harassment from public land managers and other agency personnel, recreationists, and private landowners are common. Participants had many suggestions for improvement and insights regarding the special needs of new refugees who arrived in the United States in recent years.

Age Comparisons in Workplace Sexual Harassment Perceptions

Few studies have systematically examined the influence of perceivers’ age on perceptions of sexual harassment. We sought to fill this gap, determine whether sexist attitudes mediate relations between age and sexual harassment perceptions, and whether relations between gender, sexist attitudes and perceptions are moderated by age. Results from an age-stratified sample of 965 students and staff employees at a US Midwestern university found a positive relationship between age and sexual harassment perceptions. Hostile sexism partially mediated this relationship, but age did not moderate correlations with gender or sexist attitudes. College-aged samples are less sensitive to harassment than older-aged samples, but the validity of other predictors of sexual harassment perceptions, such as gender and sexist attitudes, remains intact regardless of sample age.

Adaptive and Nonadaptive Help Seeking With Peer Harassment: An Integrative Perspective of Coping and Self-Regulation

When harassed by peers, elementary school students often face a dilemma of whether to ask their teacher for help. Assistance may be useful, and perhaps necessary. However, there can be social costs; children generally are expected to resolve interpersonal conflicts on their own. Two theoretical perspectives (i.e., coping and self-regulation) provide a framework for conceptualizing adaptive help seeking as a strategy for dealing with peer harassment. A key feature of the strategy is the student's recognition that help is necessary to maintain safety. This article reviews research that supports this conceptualization. Studies focusing on students' perceptions of harassment and judgments about the necessity for help are integrated with developmental research on peer conflict and aggression. Adaptive help seeking is contrasted with two nonadaptive responses to harassment (i.e., seeking help when it is unnecessary and failure to seek help when it is necessary), developmental implications are discussed, and directions for research are suggested.

Assédio moral e gestão de pessoas: uma análise do assédio moral nas organizações e o papel da área de gestão de pessoas

No presente artigo é feita uma análise do processo de assédio moral nas organizações e do papel da área de gestão de pessoas, principalmente quanto às práticas adotadas para a identificação e gerenciamento de fatores situacionais no ambiente de trabalho, que possam propiciar o surgimento do fenômeno assédio moral. Para cumprirmos esse objetivo, utilizamos um novo enfoque, já que a maioria das pesquisas traz a visão dos funcionários assediados, das vítimas, e, neste trabalho, procuramos analisar a percepção dos gestores sobre o assédio moral no ambiente de trabalho e sobre qual a melhor forma de atuação das organizações para combater sua incidência. No momento em que as empresas buscam uma orientação mais ética e a melhoria do ambiente de trabalho, a discussão deste tema é de grande relevância. Nesse sentido, a pesquisa identificou que nas empresas que possuem políticas claras quanto ao assunto, canais adequados para a comunicação dos casos, estruturas de trabalho menos hierarquizadas e um clima organizacional de confiança e respeito, os funcionários se sentem mais seguros para denunciar os casos de assédio moral no ambiente de trabalho.

Predicting Perceptions of Sexual Harassment Based on Type of Resistance and Belief in Token Resistance

This study examined perceptions of sexual harassment based on belief in women's use of token resistance and a victim's physical or verbal resistance to unwanted sexual attention, described in experimentally manipulated vignettes. Findings from 541 undergraduates revealed that a stronger belief in token resistance was associated with weaker perceptions of sexual harassment. Results showed that any type of resistance led to stronger perceptions of sexual harassment than no resistance at all, except for those with a stronger belief in women's use of token resistance. Perceptions among those with a stronger belief strengthened only when there were two forms of resistance offered simultaneously. These findings extend the literature by investigating the influence of physical resistance on sexual harassment perceptions.

A Study of Transgender Adults and Their Non-Transgender Siblings on Demographic Characteristics, Social Support, and Experiences of Violence

A national sample of 295 transgender adults and their nontransgender siblings were surveyed about demographics, perceptions of social support, and violence, harassment, and discrimination. Transwomen were older than the other 4 groups. Transwomen, transmen, and genderqueers were more highly educated than nontransgender sisters and nontransgender brothers, but did not have a corresponding higher income. Other demographic differences between groups were found in religion, geographic mobility, relationship status, and sexual orientation. Transgender people were more likely to experience harassment and discrimination than nontransgender sisters and nontransgender brothers. All transgender people perceived less social support from family than nontransgender sisters. This is the first study to compare trans people to nontrans siblings as a comparison group.

Identity and racial harassment

In a 1996 survey of military personnel, more than 65 percent reported experiencing racially offensive behavior and approximately 1 in 10 reported threatening incidents or career-related racial discrimination. While race clearly matters, there is also diversity in the perceived harassment experiences of individuals of the same race with diverging organizational, cultural or social experiences. Social prescriptions constraining inter-racial interactions are associated with more reports of offensive racial encounters and more career-related discrimination, while aspects of an installation's institutional culture also directly affect perceptions of harassment.

The Continuation of Perpetrator Behaviors that Influence Perceptions of Sexual Harassment

This study was designed to investigate sexual harassment perceptions based on continuation of unwanted sexual attention following victim resistance. Participants were 504 undergraduates who responded to statements regarding a sexual harassment scenario, in which the perpetrator continued or discontinued attention, which varied in severity according to nonphysical, physical, or restraint contact. Results showed that continued attention and any type of physical contact strengthened harassment perceptions, although men’s perceptions were weaker unless restraint was present. No sex differences were observed in the restraint condition. Women had stronger perceptions than men did in the physical condition, but showed a non-significant trend toward stronger perceptions in the nonphysical condition. Findings suggest that continuation following resistance may clarify for observers that harassment is occurring. Conceptualizations of harassment severity are suggested.

Perceived differences in sexual harassment between business school students in the US and Thailand

PurposeThis study seeks to examine differences in the perceptions of sexual harassment between business school students in the USA and Thailand.Design/methodology/approachSenior‐level business students from both the USA (228 students) and Thailand (260 students) were surveyed regarding their perceptions of what constituted sexual harassment behaviour. After reading different workplace scenarios, the participants used a Likert‐type scale to rank different behaviours as to what they felt constituted sexual harassment. The survey scores were factor‐analyzed in order to determine the constructs underlying the variety of sexual harassment behaviours.FindingsStudents in the USA viewed sexual harassment as involving a quid quo pro situation in which one's behaviour affects the terms of employment (sexual coercion), and a hostile environment in which certain behaviours and remarks create a hostile or offensive work environment. In comparison, the Thai students also viewed behaviours that create a hostile or offensive environment as constituting harassment, but also considered sexually explicit language and jokes to be very offensive, and as constituting a form of sexual coercion.Research limitations/implicationsThis study used only one data collection method, specifically, a survey instrument. Also, this study examined differences between US subjects and subjects from only one Far Eastern country. Thus, the results may not be generalizable to other East Asian countries.Practical implicationsAs US businesses begin to expand into the Far East, it is imperative that we understand the nature of sexual harassment perceptions in these Far East countries.Originality/valueThis paper provides evidence that the perception of what constitutes sexual harassment varies across cultures.

Young Black Men and Urban Policing in the United States

People of colour living in disadvantaged urban communities have been shown to be the disproportionate recipients of both proactive policing strategies and various forms of police misconduct. As a consequence, a growing body of research has begun to examine the relationship between blacks’ experiences with the police and their perceptions of police legitimacy. While urban minority young men are primary recipients of proactive policing efforts, few studies have examined in depth their particular experiences with the police. Drawing from a broader qualitative study of violence in the lives of African-American youths from a distressed urban community, this paper examines 40 young men’s experiences with and perceptions of police harassment and misconduct. Our findings highlight young men’s sense of themselves as symbolic assailants in the eyes of the police, suggest the importance of measuring the impact of accumulated negative experiences to better understand minority/police relations, and add additional currency to recent findings on the significance of procedural justice.

How Students and Teachers View the Seriousness of Peer Harassment: When Is It Appropriate to Seek Help?

When schoolchildren are harassed by peers, it sometimes is necessary to seek help from a teacher. However, students and teachers may have a different sense of when it is necessary. The authors investigated students' perceptions of harassment and help seeking, examining whether students' perceptions are related to popularity and whether perceptions of students and teachers differ. Fourth- and 5th-grade students (classified as popular, average, or unpopular) and teachers were interviewed about different types of harassment. Unpopular children perceived teasing more seriously than teachers and other children; in fact, they said that teasing is as serious as threats and physical aggression. Children often are reluctant to seek help because they believe that doing so will not resolve and may exacerbate the situation; unpopular children in particular fear retribution from the perpetrator. Findings suggest that unpopular children are at risk when teachers do not share their sensitivity regarding danger and the need for help.

Cultural perception of harassment in two groups of medical students: American and Israeli

The aims of this study were to determine whether harassment occurs in the authors’ school, the Sackler Faculty of Medicine at Tel Aviv University, and to address the possible influence of cultural background on the perception of harassment. The unique makeup of the school was utilized, with two separate programs for American and Israeli students trained at the same sites and by the same faculty. A two-part questionnaire was developed that included students’ reports on the occurrence of harassment, at what stage of their studies, by whom and its nature as well as demographic data. In the second part, students reported on their perception of harassment. Seven common scenarios were presented, and they were asked to indicate (on a four-point scale plus a non-applicable option) to what extent each scenario constituted harassment. A total of 115 Israeli and 81 American students in their clinical years responded during 2000–2001. About 50% experienced harassment, mainly in the clinical years. Significant differences were identified between the Israeli and the American students in their: (1) reporting of the amount (Israeli 59% vs. American 38%) and nature of harassment, and (2) perception of harassment (differed in six out of the seven scenarios), that can be related to their different cultures. These findings suggest that medical school faculty should be made aware of cultural differences in students’ perception of harassment, thus enabling them to adapt their approach towards the students and take action to prevent its occurrence.

Victim Resistance: Theory and Data on Understanding Perceptions of Sexual Harassment

This article reports on a study of perceptions of sexual harassment when a victim offers verbal resistance, and introduces the theoretical application of the notion that women sometimes use token resistance to sexual attention. Perceptions of sexual harassment were examined based on a vignette in which physical or verbal harassment and victim's facial expression were varied. Participants were 337 undergraduates (91% European American, 5% African American, 1% Hispanic American, 1% Asian American). Perceptions of sexual harassment were stronger for physical harassment than verbal harassment, except when the target smiled. Overall, women had stronger perceptions of harassment than did men. Also, a stronger belief in women's use of token resistance to sex was associated with weaker perceptions of sexual harassment. These findings suggest that a number of factors influence perceptions of harassment, even when a victim verbally resists.

Perceptions of sexual harassment: An evolutionary perspective

Abstract Much of what we know about perceptions of hostile‐environment sexual harassment remains unclear; therefore, scholars have called for greater theory development and theory‐guided research. We present an evolutionary psychological framework for understanding sexual harassment perceptions and use that perspective to examine the effects of age, sex, status, and power on perceptions of hostile‐environment harassment. In Study 1, we examined the effects of observer age, sex, and behavioral severity on harassment perceptions. Age had a significant effect, with older women viewing sexually‐toned behaviors as more harassing than younger women. Observer sex also had a significant effect, with females perceiving sexually‐toned behaviors — primarily the severe behaviors — as more harassing. Behavioral severity had a strong and significant effect on perceptions of both sexes. In Study 2, we examined how initiator status and power affected harassment perceptions. As expected, initiator power had a strong main ...

Sexual Harassment of College Students by Lecturers in Zimbabwe

Sexual harassment of female students by their lecturers has become a serious social problem in schools and institutions of higher education in Zimbabwe. The current study is an in-depth follow-up to Zindi's study (1994) and sought to investigate and establish whether or not inappropriate relationships between male lecturers and female students exist; whether female lecturers sexually harass male students; and whether there is a relationship between sexual harassment and students' performance in their studies. There may be a relationship between sexual harassment and the performance of female students in examinations. The results of a questionnaire completed by 83 students in one higher education institution in Zimbabwe revealed the widespread sexual harassment of female students by male lecturers and the different perceptions of such harassment held by male and female students. Possible implications of these findings to education are discussed and recommendations made.

ASSESSING PERCEPTIONS OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT BEHAVIORS IN A MANUFACTURING ENVIRONMENT

This pilot study, conducted in a manufacturing plant, investigated employee perceptions of the behaviors of supervisors and co-workers that constitute quid pro quo and hostile work environment sexual harassment. Responses indicated that the majority of employees can accurately identify behaviors that are frequently associated with quid pro quo harassment, but cannot identify behaviors that are used to establish evidence of a hostile work environment. Comparisons of employees' scores demonstrated that male workers, relative to female workers, were more frequently accurate in identifying behaviors of both supervisors and co-workers that constitute sexual harassment. Perceptions of harassment varied according to job classification. Women in white-collar jobs were significantly more knowledgeable about what behaviors constitute sexual harassment than women in blue-collar jobs.