Sexual Harassers: Behaviors, Motives, and Change Over Time

This research was designed to examine the characteristics of sexual harasser behaviors in 118 published arbitration decisions. A qualitative coding process was used to describe behaviors in terms of their severity, type, duration, and frequency. The interrelationships between these characteristics were examined along with the individual’s record of discipline and past aggression. The results indicate that harassers tended to repeat the same types of behavior, and that severity generally increased over time. Although past discipline for sexual harassment appeared to reduce this escalation, it was not very effective in stopping the behaviors. Perpetrators who had engaged in gender harassment were more likely to have a record of aggressive behaviors. Additional comparisons indicate important differences in the behavior of perpetrators as categorized by type of behavior.