Publication Date

1995

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

Degree Name

M.A. (Master of Arts)

Legacy Department

Department of Psychology

LCSH

Sexual harassment--United States--Psychological aspects; Sexual harassment--United States

Abstract

A new model describing the etiology of sexual harassment, the Four-Factor Model, is presented and compared with several existing models of sexual harassment including the Biological Model, the Organizational Model, the Socio-Cultural Model, and the Sex- Role Spillover Model. A number of risk factors associated with sexually harassing behavior are examined within the framework of the Four-Factor Model of sexual harassment. The risk factors examined include: physical attractiveness of the victim, victim job status, sexist work environment, unprofessional work environment, skewed sex ratios in the workplace, knowledge of grievance procedures for sexual harassment incidents, and sex-role of the victim. Subjects included a total of266 university female faculty, staff and students who completed the SEQ to assess the experience of sexual harassment and a questionairre designed to assess the risk factors stated above. Results indicate that the Four-Factor Model is a better predictor of sexual harassment than the alternative models. The risk factors most strongly associated with sexual harassment were an unprofessional environment in the workplace, sexist atmosphere, and lack of knowledge about the organization's formal grievance procedures for incidents of sexual harassment.

Comments

Includes bibliographical references (pages [47]-49)

Extent

60 pages

Language

eng

Publisher

Northern Illinois University

Rights Statement

In Copyright

Rights Statement 2

NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.

Media Type

Text

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