Coping in context: sociocultural determinants of responses to sexual harassment

J Pers Soc Psychol. 2002 Aug;83(2):394-405. doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.83.2.394.

Abstract

The authors investigated coping responses to sexual harassment across 4 samples of working women from 3 cultures and 2 occupational classes. Complete-link cluster analyses provide preliminary support for D. E. Knapp, R. H. Faley, S. E. Ekeberg, and C. L. Z. Dubois's (1997) coping framework, suggesting that avoidance, denial, negotiation, advocacy seeking, and social coping are universal responses to sexual harassment. Further, L. F. Fitzgerald's (1990) internal-external dichotomy appears to capture higher order relationships among coping responses. In addition, regression analyses suggest that Turkish and Hispanic American women engage in more avoidance than Anglo American women, and Hispanic women also use more denial but less advocacy seeking. No differences emerged in social coping. The authors discuss these results in the context of coping theory, individualism-collectivism, power distance, and patriarchal gender norms.

Publication types

  • Multicenter Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adaptation, Psychological*
  • Adult
  • Cluster Analysis
  • Cross-Cultural Comparison*
  • Female
  • Hispanic or Latino / psychology
  • Humans
  • Occupations
  • Regression Analysis
  • Sexual Harassment / psychology*
  • Socioeconomic Factors
  • Turkey
  • United States
  • White People / psychology