Perception of sexual harassment: the influence of sex and physical attractiveness

The present study explored the extent to which the sex and attractiveness of the harasser, as well as the sex of the participant, influence perceptions of sexual harassment. Previous research has shown that women are generally more attuned to recognising sexual harassment and are more likely than men to classify certain behaviours as inappropriate. A total of 146 participants completed a structured questionnaire, a vignette-based scenario, and the Sociosexual Orientation Inventory-Revised (SOI-R). The findings revealed that the sex of the harasser significantly impacted participants’ perceptions of sexual harassment. In contrast, neither the attractiveness of the harasser nor the sex of the participant demonstrated statistically significant effects. The study concludes with a discussion of its methodological limitations and implications for future research in the field.