Sexual Harassment: Undermining the Wellbeing of Working Women

The past two decades have witnessed incredible strides in the understanding of workplace harassment based on sex and gender (a.k.a. “sexual harassment”). This chapter reviews sexual harassment definitions, laws, antecedents, and outcomes, focusing on the most recent and rigorous studies. We structure this chapter to answer the following questions: How is sexual harassment defined, legally and scientifically, both in the United States and in other nations? What is its prevalence and impact in the lives of working women? Finally, how do different features of context (e.g., power, organizational culture, policies, procedures, trainings) promote, prevent, and remedy harassment based on sex and gender?