Why Do Certain Men Resort to Sexual Harassment?
New research on masculinity, power, and the roots of aggression.
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So many people who deal with sexual harassment don’t have the means to file lawsuits or to get legal representation or legal advice. — Tarana Burke
To end the pervasive culture of sexual harassment, it can no longer be the norm that men look the other way. It only ends when men actively participate in ending it. — J. B. Pritzker
In the post Harvey Weinstein era, collective awareness of sexual harassment is finally hitting a tipping point. The outrage and motivation to bring about fundamental change feels stronger than ever before, perhaps at least in part because the current POTUS, accused of sexual harassment and more, seems beyond justice. Having someone so supremely powerful publicly getting away with proverbial murder starkly underlines the need to take action. And perhaps some of the frustration that Trump has evaded justice gets channeled into seeking justice for those who are currently within reach.
Understanding the factors which precipitate sexual harassment, on individual and systemic levels, is required in order to identify high-risk situations and prevent sexual harassment. According to a recent survey, women are generally almost twice as likely to be sexually harassed as men (with an 80 percent lifetime incidence for women versus 43 percent for men), and are much more likely to experience specific forms of sexual harassment, assault and abuse. Women are overwhelmingly more likely to be harassed by men, who perpetrate 80 percent of incidents, versus other women, which happens in 3 percent of cases.
Why is this?
While seeking sexual gratification in combination with power has been shown to predict sexual harassment (Kunstman and Maner, 2011), it is not the only factor. When sexual harassment is used to demand sexual favors in return for a material benefit (e.g. sexual favors in exchange for getting a promotion), sexual gratification may be a stronger factor. However, in many cases sexual desire is relatively insignificant, as power motives, personality and aggression play a larger role. In fact, sexual desire may be wholly absent in spite of the sexual element, when sex is used solely for purposes of…
