Sexual harassment is shaped by more than personal style, gender ex­pectations, or sexual scripts; organizational structures and overall context can make certain behaviors more likely and can provide climates that foster sexual harassment. Organizational contexts (the structure of the organization, the social norms of the organization, and the power differentials inherent in it) play an […]

Power can be integral to a social role or position that is largely in­dependent of the personal identities of the interacting individuals. Yet in our society power is also generally differentially accorded to the man. Oc­casionally, designations along these two dimensions may be contradictory, offering the possibility of contrapower harassment. Contrapower harassment (Benson, 1984) occurs […]

Individuals may misuse the formal organizational power they have over subordinates, but act as if what happened was an incident of negoti­ated interpersonal power. Recognition of sexual harassment as an illegiti­mate use of power reflects the questioning of rights accorded to privileged men, and even less privileged men, in a society with patriarchal structures. Those […]

The sexual scripts women and men learn shape the dynamics that operate in social interaction episodes and social relationships. A woman may view repeated unsolicited sexual overtures by a man as harassing, whereas the man initiating the advances believes his behavior to be within appropriate boundaries, with his belief actually fostering escalation of such behavior […]

Scripts may vary on several dimensions, for example, their complexity, rigidity, and conventionality (Gagnon, Rosen, & Lieblum, 1982). Some research indicates sexual scripts that incorporate more egalitarian views of gender and sexuality are gaining validity (Weinberg, Swensson, & Ham­mersmith, 1983), although more conventional or traditional scripts that reflect gender differences continue to be widespread (LaPlante, […]

Sexual scripts exist on multiple levels. Two levels of interest are widely known cultural scenarios—collectively held scripts such as hetero­sexuality, and interpersonal scripts, or expectations about behaviors to be used in a specific context (Simon & Gagnon, 1986). With their interper­sonal sexual scripts, individuals may follow or violate traditionally held collective scripts. In the United […]

Women’s typically more vulnerable economic position limits their freedom to complain about workplace conditions, including episodes of sexual harassment. One important reason is the fear of losing a much needed job. Burrell and Hearn (1989) state that women’s lack of organi­zational power coupled with their need for work exacerbates the likelihood of harassment. Without these […]

Women should strive to be desirable sexual objects and take respon­sibility for being treated as sexual objects. Women who subscribe to a traditional feminine script may find it difficult to confront more powerful men who make comments about their bodies or inappropriately touch them. They are not able to counter the argument that a woman […]

Traditional female sexual scripts and accepted interaction patterns may make many women vulnerable to sexual harassment. Confronting the behavior creates a dilemma for women because viewing the phenomenon as a violation and taking steps to eradicate the unwanted behavior require going against long-standing standards of femininity and appropriate female conduct.

Men may make women the recipients of unwanted brushes, pinches, and kisses to establish their masculinity or as their prerogative. In far too many movies, women are depicted as responding positively to men who put them in their place through physical aggression. Male politicians such as Senator Robert Packwood, who in 1995 resigned from the […]