Abstract
Perceptions of peer social–sexual interactions were examined in a group of high school students (N=150). Participants were presented with six brief vignettes that described three types of sexual harassment between adolescent peers: physical, verbal/visual, and derogatory. Two vignettes were written for each type of behavior to reflect either a sexually explicit or implicit behavior. Participants responded to Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale and the Attitudes toward Women Scale for Adolescents (AWSA), and then rated the sexually harassing nature of the behaviors. Sexual harassment ratings varied as a function of the type of behavior and the sexual explicitness with which it was displayed. Although consensus was reached regarding the sexually harassing nature of both the sexually implicit and explicit physical forms of behaviors, only when the verbal/visual behavior was explicitly displayed was it perceived as sexually harassing. Interactions among self-esteem, gender attitudes, and type of behavior were also noted. Irrespective of the explicitness with which it was displayed, rater characteristics were influential for both the verbal/visual and derogatory forms of harassment.
Similar content being viewed by others
REFERENCES
American Association of University Women. (AAUW). (1993). Hostile hallways: The AAUW survey on sexual harassment in America's schools. Washington, DC: Harris/Scholastic Research.
American Association of University Women. (AAUW). (2001). Hostile hallways: Bullying, teasing, and sexual harassment in school. Washington, DC: Harris/Scholastic Research.
Baird, C. L., Bensko, N. L., Bell, P. A., Viney, W., & Woody, W. D. (1995). Gender influence on perceptions of hostile environment sexual harassment. Psychological Reports, 77, 79–82.
Benson, P. L., & Vincent, S. M. (1980). Development and validation of the Sexist Attitudes Toward Women Scale (SATWS). Psychology of Women Quarterly, 5, 276–291.
Brandenburg, J. B. (1997). Confronting sexual harassment: What schools and colleges can do. New York: Teachers College Press.
Bursik, K. (1992). Perceptions of sexual harassment. Sex Roles, 27, 401–412.
Dahinten, V. S. (1999). Peer sexual harassment: A barrier to the health of adolescent females? Canadian Journal of Nursing Research, 31, 41–52.
Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights. (1997, March 13). Sexual harassment guidance: Harassment of students by school employees, other students, or third parties. Federal Register, 62, 12034–12051.
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. (EEOC). (1990, March 19). Policy guidance NO. N-915-050: Current issues of sexual harassment. Washington, DC: Author.
Fineran, S., & Bennett, L. (1999). Gender and power issues of peer sexual harassment among teenagers. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 14, 626–641.
Fitzgerald, L. F. (1993). Sexual harassment: Violence against women in the workplace. American Psychologist, 48, 1070–1076.
Fitzgerald, L. F., Gelfand, M. J., & Drasgow, F. (1995). Measuring sexual harassment: Theoretical and psychometric advances. Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 17, 425–445.
Fitzgerald, L. F., & Ormerod, A. J. (1991). Perceptions of sexual harassment: The influence of gender and academic context. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 15, 281–294.
Fitzgerald, L. F., & Shullman, S. L. (1993). Sexual harassment: A research analysis and agenda for the 1990s. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 42, 5–27.
Galambos, N. L., Peterson, A. C., Richards, M., & Gitelson, I. B. (1985). The Attitudes toward Women Scale for Adolescents (AWSA): A study of reliability and validity. Sex Roles, 13, 343–356.
Gutek, B. A. (1995). How subjective is sexual harassment? An examination of rater effects. Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 17, 447–467.
Gutek, B. A., & Koss, M. P. (1993). Changed women and changed organizations: Consequences of and coping with sexual harassment. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 42, 28–48.
Gutek, B. A., & O'Connor, M. (1995). The empirical basis for the reasonable woman standard. Journal of Social Issues, 51, 151–166.
Hand, J. Z., & Sanchez, L. (2000). Badgering or bantering? Gender differences in experience of, and reactions to, sexual harassment among U.S. high school students. Gender and Society, 14, 718–746.
Ivy, D. K., & Hamlet, S. (1996). College students and sexual dynamics: Two studies of peer sexual harassment. Communication Education, 45, 149–166.
Larkin, J. (1994). Sexual harassment. High school girls speak out. Toronto: Second Story Press.
LaRocca, M. A., & Kromrey, J. D. (1999). The perception of sexual harassment in higher education: Impact of gender and attractiveness. Sex Roles, 40, 921–940.
Laws, J., & Schwartz, P. (1977). Sexual scripts. Hinsdale, IL: Dryden Press.
Lee, V., Croninger, R., Linn, E., & Chen, X. (1996). The culture of sexual harassment in secondary schools. American Educational Research Journal, 33, 383–417.
Lewis, J., & Hastings, S. (1994). Sexual harassment in education (2nd ed.). Topeka, KS: National Organization on Legal Problems of Education.
Longo, L. C., & Ashmore, R. D. (1995). The looks–personality relationship: Global self-orientations as shared precursors of subjective physical attractiveness and self-ascribed traits. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 25, 371–398.
Loredo, C., Reid, A., & Deaux, K. (1995). Judgments and definitions of sexual harassment by high school students. Sex Roles, 32, 29–46.
Malovich, N. J., & Stake, J. E. (1990). Sexual harassment on campus: Individual differences in attitudes and beliefs. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 14, 63–81.
Mendelson, B. K., White, D. R., & Mendelson, M. J. (1996). Self-esteem and body esteem: Effects of gender, age, and weight. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 17, 321–346.
Murrell, A. J., & Dietz-Uhler, B. L. (1993). Gender identity and adversarial sexual beliefs as predictors of attitudes toward sexual harassment. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 17, 169–175.
Orenstein, P. (1994). Schoolgirls: Young women, self-esteem, and the confidence gap. New York: Anchor Books.
Paludi, M., & Barickman, R. (1991). Academic and workplace sexual harassment: A resource manual. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.
Popovich, P. M., Gehlauf, D. N., Jolton, J. A., Somers, J. M., & Godinho, R. M. (1992). Perceptions of sexual harassment as a function of sex of rater and incident form and consequence. Sex Roles, 27, 609–625.
Project on the Status and Education of Women. (1978). Sexual harassment: A hidden issue (No. 25). Washington, DC: Association of American Colleges.
Pryor, J. B., & Day, J. D. (1988). Interpretations of sexual harassment: An attributional analysis. Sex Roles, 18, 405–417.
Reilly, M. E., Lott, B., & Gallogly, S. M. (1986). Sexual harassment of university students. Sex Roles, 15, 333–358.
Roscoe, B., Strouse, J. S., & Goodwin, M. P. (1994). Sexual harassment: Early adolescents' self-reports of experiences and acceptance. Adolescence, 29, 515–523.
Rosenberg, M. (1965). Society and the adolescent self-image. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
Rosenberg, M. (1989). Society and the adolescent self-image (Rev. ed.). Middletown, CT: Wesleyan University Press.
Sadker, M., & Sadker, D. (1994). Failing at fairness: How our schools cheat girls. New York: Touchstone.
Shoop, R., & Hayhow, J., Jr. (1994). Sexual harassment in our schools. What parents and teachers need to know to spot it and stop it. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Stein, N. (1995). Sexual harassment in the school: The public performance of gendered violence. Harvard Educational Review, 65, 145–162.
Stein, N., Marshall, N. L., & Tropp, L. R. (1993). Secrets in public: Sexual harassment in our schools. Wellesley, MA: Wellesley College Center for Research on Women.
Stein, N., & Sjostrom, L. (1994). Flirting or hurting? Washington, DC: National Education Association.
Stratton, S., & Backes, J. (1997). Sexual harassment in North Dakota public schools: A study of eight high schools. High School Journal, 80, 163–172.
Tata, J. (1993). The structure and phenomenon of sexual harassment: Impact of category of sexually harassing behavior, gender, and hierarchical level. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 23, 199–211.
Terpstra, D., & Baker, D. (1987). Psychological and demographic correlates of perceptions of sexual harassment. Genetic, Social and General Psychology Monographs, 112, 459–478.
Timmerman, G. (2003). Sexual harassment of adolescents perpetrated by teachers and by peers: An exploration of the dynamics of power, culture, and gender in secondary schools. Sex Roles, 48, 231–244.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Terrance, C., Logan, A. & Peters, D. Perceptions of Peer Sexual Harassment Among High School Students. Sex Roles 51, 479–490 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:SERS.0000049236.68806.59
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:SERS.0000049236.68806.59