Predicting Sexual Harassment

When you think of sexual harassment in the workplace, typically it is the man in a powerful position that is the offender. In most instances, that assumption would be correct, so being in power would ultimately predict sexual harassment, right? Wrong. In fact, a recent study published in Sex Roles, showed that individuals in power who had a fear of others viewing them as incompetent was a major driver. Sexually harassing others may not be based on sexual gratification, but more on the appearance of looking competent and in control. Further, the feeling of self-incompetence played less of a role than perceive incompetence from others. The study outlines the importance of examining all aspects of the workplace, looking into characteristics of the perpetrators in addition to the victims, and promoting a workplace that reduces feelings of insecurity among its’ workforce.

Link to paper: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-018-0938-0

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