NCJ Number
159296
Journal
Women Police Volume: 29 Issue: 4 Dated: (Winter 1995) Pages: 3-4
Date Published
1995
Length
2 pages
Annotation
Despite the legal and theoretical definitions of sexual harassment, no clear answer exists as to what women find harassing, because harassment depends on many factors.
Abstract
Sexual harassment revolves around the crucial words welcome and unwelcome. Sexual behavior is harassing only when it is unwelcome by the recipient. What may be unwelcome behavior to one person may be welcome to another person. However, studies have revealed several influencing factors. These include the frequency of the incidents, whether the incident takes place in public or private, the severity of the conduct, whether the offender is a supervisor, whether the behavior involves threats, and whether the behavior is sexually explicit. In addition, research by the author, a British police officer for 10 years, has discovered eight further factors. These include the offender's intent, the behavior, the victim's age, the offender's relationship to the victim, the victim's mood, the role of humor, the element of flattery, and the issue of teamwork. Photograph