NCJ Number
162354
Journal
Journal of California Law Enforcement Volume: 28 Issue: 3 Dated: (1994) Pages: 65-71
Date Published
1994
Length
7 pages
Annotation
A review of the relevant literature shows a direct relationship between gender and one's perception of sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior.
Abstract
The effects of gender on perceptions of sexual harassment can have several implications for organizations, such as problematic communication and improper behavior in the workplace. This has a significant effect on organizational climate, immediacy behaviors, perceptions of behaviors, stereotyping, the definition of what is sexual harassment, and what processes address such behaviors. Although there tends to be some agreement about what constitutes certain types of sexual harassment, there are significant differences in perceptions of a number of behaviors as to whether they are of a harassing nature. These differences occur often in the workplace, which leads to a number of problems, such as sexual harassment complaints. A significant percentage of these problems come from a lack of understanding of gender roles and differences, as well as workplace policies that subscribe to the male definition of what is sexual harassment. Since perceptions of sexual harassment differ based on gender, reaching a consensus as to what constitutes sexual harassment is a difficult task, because a number of immediacy behaviors fall into the "gray" area of sexual harassment issues. If organizations and their members are aware of gender differences in perceptions of sexual harassment, effective training programs, policies, and behavior models can be developed to improve communication in the organization while lessening the incidents of actual or perceived sexual harassing behaviors. 42 references