A cross-cultural exploration of factors affecting reactions to sexual harassment - Attitudes and policies

The authors described a basic research program examining cross-cultural rea ctions to sexual harassment in the United States, Canada, Ecuador, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. Factors explaining the results of this research and other cross-cultural studies are described and include g ender differences, attitudes toward women, status differentials, country or ientation (i.e., individualist vs. collectivist), climate of the country (i .e., attitudes condoning or opposing sexual harassment), and general attitu des toward punishment. The authors discussed current information about poli cies concerning sexual harassment in various countries and methodological a nd practical difficulties of conducting cross-cultural research on sexual h arassment, with suggestions for future research. Finally, conclusions were drawn relating attitudes toward sexual harassment to the development of pol icies prohibiting sexual harassment.