Responses of female undergraduates to scenarios of sexual harassment by male professors and teaching assistants

This study sought to identify some of the factors that lead to assertive re sponding to sexual harassment. Responses of 120 female undergraduates to hy pothetical scenarios of sexual harassment by male professors or teaching as sistants were investigated. Two situational variables (ambiguity of the beh aviour and harasser status) and one individual difference variable (coping style) were examined. Participants completed a coping inventory and a quest ionnaire containing 1 of 4 harassment scenarios, with measures of affect, p erceptions of the instructor, acknowledgment of the behaviour as sexual har assment , and behavioural responses at two stages. Less ambiguous harassmen t situations were associated with greater negative affect, acknowledgment o f sexual harassment, and more assertive responding. Coping style, but not h arasser status, was also related to response strategies.