Sexual Harassment Research Articles

What makes female commuters ‘unhappy’? Harassment, fear of crime, and unsought travel behavioral adaptations in public transport against life satisfaction

IntroductionWhile promoting public transport is undoubtedly essential to meet current sustainability goals, numerous challenges persist among daily travelers, either remaining active or receiving limited attention. A prime example is the exposure to sexual harassment, fear, and forced travel behavioral adaptations primarily affecting women, especially daily commuters constantly exposed to these issues. Moreover, the extent to which it affects their life satisfaction remains somewhat unaddressed in the literature. AimThe core aim of this study was to assess the influence of sexual harassment experiences, fear of crime, and unwanted travel behavior adaptations on the life satisfaction of female commuters using public transport. MethodsThis cross-sectional study used the data provided by 720 public transport commuting women in Spanish cities, aged M = 29 years, spending about M = 74 min a day commuting. Participants responded to an electronic questionnaire addressing everyday traveling issues. ResultsThe relationships among experiences of sexual harassment, fear of crime, and responsive patterns of travel behavioral change were consistently positive and significant. Moreover, behavioral adaptations were more prevalent (although not exclusively) among women ‘in touch’ with sexual harassment on the move. Furthermore, structural analyses suggest that life satisfaction rates are impaired to a great extent by harassment experiences and fear of non-sexual crime but through the full statistical mediation of the often inconvenient, undesired travel adaptations made by commuting women. ConclusionThese outcomes support the idea that the overall life satisfaction of female daily public transport travelers may be significantly affected by negative commuting experiences and inconvenient responsive behavioral demands. At a practical level, the current study provides valuable insights into the still challenging dynamics involving sexual harassment, fear, and commuting constraints in women. On this basis, conducting contextually aware crime and fear-facing actions might help to improve their travel experiences, overall quality of life, and access to opportunities.

Land use and crimes in Indonesian rural and urban areas

ABSTRACT Crime is one of the problems faced by countries worldwide. Theft, gambling, drug, fraud, persecution, and conflict are among the crimes that commonly occur in Indonesia, which may be accounted for by a range of factors, including economic ones. Land use also emerges as another factor leading to crimes. Land use at the village level can be divided into three categories: undiversified, moderately diversified, and diversified. This work applied two analysis models. First, it employed logistic regression to capture the criminal possibility of each land use category. Second, it applied Ordinary Least Square to view crimes holistically in each land use category. This paper suggests that mixed land use and public space could significantly lower crime probability. Meanwhile, using land as a business and industrial center was found to trigger crimes. The existence of prostitution areas in villages/subdistricts raises the possibility of a rise in human trafficking and sexual Harassment. This study showed that using land as a public space potentially increases conflicts in Indonesia. This study provided the Indonesian government with a new insight to consider when developing an area by taking land use diversity into account in order to minimize crime risks.

Scheme tackles harassment in schools

London borough develops education programme to teach young people about how to respond to sexual harassment if witnessed

Individual and contextual-level predictors of progression in the bystander intervention model.

The situational model of bystander behavior is a validated 5-step process for understanding intervention in bullying and sexual harassment, yet the individual-level and contextual-level factors that facilitate the progression from one step to the next are not well understood. The purpose of the current study was to examine whether individual characteristics (social-emotional skills, affective empathy, cognitive empathy, and personal attitudes toward bullying and sexual harassment) and contextual-level factors (school climate and perceived peer attitudes toward bullying and sexual harassment) explained the association between subsequent steps of the bystander intervention model. A sample of 788 high school students completed several validated measures of these constructs. Structural equation modeling analysis revealed that each step significantly and positively predicted the next step, and the addition of a direct path from accepting responsibility to helping improved model fit. The mediational model indicated that individual-level characteristics had significant direct effects on interpreting bullying and sexual harassment as problems, accepting responsibility, and helping, and indirect effects from noticing the bullying and sexual harassment to all subsequent steps except knowing. In contrast, contextual-level effects contributed to accepting responsibility in an inverse direction.

Proactive efforts to eliminate sexual harassment by clients

Companies need to focus on eliminating sexual harassment of their employees by clients. Sexual harassment by clients can push valuable employees out of the company and result in liability for the employer. There are proactive steps that companies should take to ensure clients can be held accountable for sexual harassment with the ultimate goal of eliminating the harassment. This article provides recommendations for such proactive steps, including internal benchmarking, targeted policy-making, effective internal training, and the utilization of contract provisions to increase accountability.

Development of the Mentoring in Undergraduate Research Survey.

Here we present the development of the Mentoring in Undergraduate Research Survey (MURS) as a measure of a range of mentoring experienced by undergraduate science researchers. We drafted items based on qualitative research and refined the items through cognitive interviews and expert sorting. We used one national dataset to evaluate the internal structure of the measure and a second national dataset to examine how responses on the MURS related to theoretically relevant constructs and student characteristics. Our factor analytic results indicate seven lower order forms of mentoring experiences: abusive supervision, accessibility, technical support, psychosocial support, interpersonal mismatch, sexual harassment, and unfair treatment. These forms of mentoring mapped onto two higher-order factors: supportive and destructive mentoring experiences. Although most undergraduates reported experiencing supportive mentoring, some reported experiencing absence of supportive as well as destructive experiences. Undergraduates who experienced less supportive and more destructive mentoring also experienced lower scientific integration and a dampening of their beliefs about the value of research. The MURS should be useful for investigating the effects of mentoring experienced by undergraduate researchers and for testing interventions aimed at fostering supportive experiences and reducing or preventing destructive experiences and their impacts.

Forms, Practices and Ramifications of Abusive Supervision in Universities: A Social Justice Scrutiny

Abstract Universities have experienced a phenomenal increase in the incidences of abusive supervision. The practices of abuse in leadership are manifested in different forms and shapes. These unjust and unfair practices are perpetuated in different divisions and sections of the university leadership and are counterproductive. The overarching purpose of this study is to scrutinize the different kinds of abusive supervision practices and their ramifications. This examination takes the form of the extensive and intensive analysis and synthesis of extant and apposite authoritative literature. In addition, to strengthen the scientific rigor and soundness of this examination, I deploy the three-dimensional social justice theory of Nancy Fraser as a framework. This study is significant in that it provides epistemological insights into abusive supervision in universities. The findings confirm scholarly evidence of the prevalence of acts of abuse in various forms such as sexual harassment, exclusionary decision-making practices, designed and strategic isolation of dissenting voices, and selective promotional practices.

Women’s issues, critical actors and the media: substantive representation of women and gendered media coverage in South Korea

The article investigates whether media coverage varies for male and female legislators with regards to their activities in promoting women’s interests. To test this, 30 key women’s-issue-promoting legislators in South Korea are selected, primarily based on their legislative significance within a women’s-issue bill co-sponsorship network between 2004 and 2016, and their various substantive representation efforts are analysed by examining 45 news outlets. Findings reveal that while receiving less media coverage than their male counterparts overall, female legislators have higher odds of receiving a more focused spotlight concerning women’s-issue-promotion efforts. However, the gendered media coverage was only driven by women’s issues with strong stereotypically feminine policy characteristics, for example, abortion, contraception and sexual harassment, and not by those with both feminine and masculine policy characteristics, such as childcare support and maternity leave. The article demonstrates the importance of media-bias conditionality and thus calls for a more nuanced approach to be taken in future research.

Response to "Sexual Harassment Among Chinese Psychiatrists and Its Impact on Quality of Life: A Cross-Sectional Survey" [Letter

Response to "Sexual Harassment Among Chinese Psychiatrists and Its Impact on Quality of Life: A Cross-Sectional Survey" [Letter

Sexual Harassment Among Chinese Psychiatrists and Its Impact on Quality of Life: A Cross-Sectional Survey [Response to Letter

Sexual Harassment Among Chinese Psychiatrists and Its Impact on Quality of Life: A Cross-Sectional Survey [Response to Letter

To Add or to Multiply? Gender, Sexual Minority Status, and Sexual Harassment in the Norwegian Police Service

To Add or to Multiply? Gender, Sexual Minority Status, and Sexual Harassment in the Norwegian Police Service

Fearless - Next-Gen Solution for Preventing Sexual Harassment and Physical Violation

Fearless - Next-Gen Solution for Preventing Sexual Harassment and Physical Violation

Survey of Sexual Harassment to Students at Indonesia University

The government's task force for preventing and handling sexual violence (PPKS Task Force) is not evenly available in all Indonesian universities. This research used convenience sampling techniques; the sample comprised 1026 students from 157 universities in 28 provinces in Indonesia. An exploratory study was conducted from 2022–2023. Quantitative survey data was analyzed using descriptive statistics with an ex post facto approach. In more detail, the research will examine the impact and conflicting gaps of victims and bystanders in dealing with sexual harassment behavior in Indonesian universities based on gender and culture, including Gap Contradiction. This is considered important as a coping strategy for the need to handle sexual harassment among students in Indonesia. The data from this research can be a consideration for universities in Indonesia in the urgency of realizing the availability of a PPKS task force, developing an advocacy system for handling and empowerment services and regulations, and providing student assistance facilities.

Legal Protection for Women Victims of Verbal Sexual Harassment in Public Environments (Catcalling)

Legal Protection for Women Victims of Verbal Sexual Harassment in Public Environments (Catcalling)

The landscape of physical sexual violence in Botswana, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Nigeria: A systematic review

The present study aimed to determine the trending country-specific common forms and patterns of sexual violence in Sub-Saharan African countries considering the multi-component nature of the menace. We systematically reviewed the population-based studies, obtained from PubMed, Medline, Scopus, and Google Scholar, that dealt with all-encompassing physical sexual violence in Botswana, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Nigeria. The quality and significance of the data obtained were assessed, and similar events were grouped and reported found to have inspired policy recommendations for non-sexual violence initiatives and respect for sexual and reproductive health rights in Sub-Saharan Africa. This systematic review revealed that sexual violence is captured as sexual harassment, sexual assault, sexual abuse, rape, coercive sex, incest, child sexual abuse, and intimate partner sexual violence. Botswana ranked first in worldwide rape statistics, while Nigeria and Kenya ranked 135th and 103rd, respectively. Ethiopia’s global rape ranking was not available at the completion of writing this paper, and further statistical proof(s) on these ranks were also not established in this review. The historic record for Botswana on forced sex reads 10.3% while forced marriage for Ethiopia shows 58%. Across the four countries selected, intimate partner violence ranges between 9.0% and 58.6%. While completed rapes, attempted rapes, and forced sexual initiation were mentioned in a few studies, the lifetime sexual violence ranges between 45.4% and 56%. In addition, the generic sexual violence was between 9.6% and 61.2%. In summation, sexual violence is prevailing at the locations of study, regardless of age, gender, or community. However, since the actual or suspected dominant perpetrators of sexual violence are overrepresented in the male populations, enlightenment campaigns should be implemented for boys and men so that they grow more conscious of other gender’s sexual rights in the conduct or pursuit of their sexual satisfaction and behavior. Effective community engagement (with parents, workers, academics, and students) should be prioritized by various governments and other stakeholders toward the achievement of improved sexual health, and well-being among the populace.

Staycation Contract Renewal Terms: Twitter Users' Perceptions of Women Workers' Speak Up Action

The practice of staycation revealed in Cikarang as a condition of extending the contract is a form of sexual violence and harassment. The phenomenon of speak up is a phenomenon where survivors report and tell about sexual violence experienced. The study aimed to understand the views and reactions of Twitter social media users to sexual harassment in the workplace. Researchers used the perception analysis approach of Filebron (2017) and Stubbs-Richardson et al (2018) by collecting data through Twitter accounts @geloraco in the case of female workers in Cikarang who received sexual harassment at work. The results showed that the use of Twitter in accessing information on cases of sexual violence experienced by female labor AD on @geloraco accounts, including the form of thread replies in the form of negative and positive comments. There are supportive reactions containing affirmations, validation, sympathy, and recognition as well as unsupportive reactions that are blaming, doubtful, and demeaning to the survivor's experience.

Social media threats and health among adolescents: evidence from the health behaviour in school-aged children study

BackgroundSocial media are immensely popular among adolescents. Thus, concerns have been raised about the threats adolescents encounter on social media and the possible negative health consequences, such as depressive symptoms and anxiety. This study investigated the prevalence of nine social media threats: (1) cyberbullying, (2) sexual harassment, (3) racism, (4) unauthorized distribution of sensitive material, (5) phishing attempts, (6) misinformation, (7) the sale or distribution of drugs, (8) harmful or dangerous social media challenges, (9) content causing appearance pressures. The study also investigated how individual and social factors, problematic social media use (PSMU), and online communication with strangers are associated with social media threat exposure, as well as the association between social media threats and self-rated health, depressive feelings, and anxiety symptoms.Methods and findingsNationally representative Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) data from Finland were obtained from 2288 respondents aged 11, 13, and 15 years. Fixed effects regression models were applied. The most common threat, encountered daily and weekly, was misinformation. Regression models showed that individual and social factors, PSMU, and online communication with strangers explained adolescent exposure to social media threats in differing ways. Furthermore, certain factors (e.g., emotional intelligence, family support) were associated with encountering social media threats less frequently, whereas other factors (e.g., PSMU, online communication with strangers) were associated with more frequent encounters. Daily and weekly exposure to social media threats was systematically associated with poor self-rated health, frequent depressive feelings, and anxiety symptoms.ConclusionsOur study highlights the need for intervention and health promotion efforts to mitigate adolescent exposure to social media threats and ensuing negative health consequences.

Sexual violence in the workplace and associated health outcomes: a nationwide, cross-sectional analysis of women in Iceland

Workplace sexual violence against women is a pressing global issue with scarce knowledge on its health implications. Existing research is largely limited to specific occupations, which calls for comprehensive, population-based studies. This study aimed to examine the associations between self-labelled workplace sexual violence and a variety of health outcomes in a nationally representative sample of Icelandic women aged 18-69 years. Participants in this cross-sectional study were women in the Stress-And-Gene-Analysis (SAGA) cohort who answered the question regarding workplace sexual violence, defined in our study as encompassing all work sectors, academic settings, and other school environments. Eligible participants were women, aged 18-69 years, residing in Iceland, who spoke Icelandic and were listed in the Icelandic Population Register or had a contact number registered with the online 1819 service. Poisson and binomial regressions were used to assess the associations between workplace sexual violence and validated measures of current mental and physical health outcomes (eg, probable depression, general anxiety, and severe sleep problems). Multiple imputation was performed to account for missing values in the dataset. The study was conducted from March 1, 2018, to July 1, 2019. Of the 113 814 women deemed eligible for study inclusion, 104 197 were invited to take part in the online survey. Of those invited, 30 403 women completed the survey and were included in the SAGA cohort. Among these participants, 15 812 provided answers to the question regarding exposure to workplace sexual harassment or violence. Exposure to sexual violence was associated with an increased prevalence of probable depression (prevalence ratio [PR] 1·50 [95% CI 1·41-1·60]), general anxiety (PR 1·49 [1·40-1·59]), social phobia (PR 1·62 [1·48-1·78]), self-harm (PR 1·86 [1·53-2·28]), suicidal ideation (PR 1·68 [1·44-1·68]), suicide attempts (PR 1·99 [1·62-2·44]), binge drinking (PR 1·10 [1·01-1·20]), sleep problems (PR 1·41 [1·48-1·91]), physical symptoms (PR 1·59 [1·48-1·70]), and sick leave (PR 1·20 [1·12-1·28]). The prevalence of the health outcomes among those exposed show age-related differences: younger women report anxiety or depression more frequently, while older women report sleep problems after experiencing workplace sexual violence. In this cross-sectional study self-reported experiences of sexual violence in the workplace were associated with several self-reported health outcomes. The findings suggest a need for targeted interventions to promote workplace safety and to mitigate adverse health implications among people who have experienced workplace sexual violence. Future research should explore factors such as the frequency, duration, and relationship dynamics of workplace sexual violence, as well as the effect on different genders and sexual orientations, to deepen our understanding of these experiences and inform effective prevention strategies. Reykjavík Energy Research Fund, The Icelandic Gender Equality Fund, European Research Council, and Icelandic Center for Research.

Media Authenticity, Construction of Perpetrators' Motives, and Integration of Forensic Communication: The Investigation Process of Sexual Violence Cases in Online Media

This study explores the integration of forensic communication with media analysis to understand and address sexual violence. Media authenticity is examined as a crucial factor influencing public perception and judicial processes. Through a detailed examination of how media constructs motives and the application of forensic communication techniques, the research demonstrates the potential of mass media to serve as forensic evidence. The study employs an interpretive paradigm and Ricoeur's Hermeneutics of Suspicion to analyze media texts and police examination minutes. Findings indicate that the construction of motives in media significantly impacts the evidentiary process in sexual harassment cases. This research underscores the importance of accurate media representation and calls for the media to adhere to accuracy, integrity, and social responsibility principles. Further research is suggested to explore the broader social dynamics and collective motives in criminal cases, particularly sexual violence.

Using the "Pence Rule" as a Sexual Harassment Prevention Tool: The Unintended Consequences on Gender Equality

With the resurgence of the #MeToo movement, the Pence Rule has been used by men to prevent sexual harassment liability. Regardless of the intention of using this rule, it could damage the climate of inclusion and women's career equality. We integrate gender equality and inclusion research and social dominance theory to understand people's perceptions and potential consequences of using the Pence Rule. We use a grounded theory approach to identify the perceptual similarities and differences across the timeline of #MeToo. We theorize potential antecedents and outcomes of using the Pence Rule by examining comments from three major U.S. news articles related to the issue. We identify seven categories, including the legal aspects, men and women's character, view of gender equality, political leadership, the cultural aspects (religion and history), behavioral outcomes, and effects on gender equality. The first five are theorized as potential antecedents, and the last two are identified as potential outcomes. All three articles' comments show similarities regarding support for using the Pence Rule from the legal aspects and related to behavioral outcomes, contrasted by criticism of the Pence Rule as it relates to and impacts gender equality.