Citation

Welsh S, Gruber JE. Can. Rev. Sociol. Anthropol. 1999; 36(4): 559-583.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1999, University of Toronto Press)

DOI

10.1111/j.1755-618X.1999.tb00964.x

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Reporting sexual harassment is not a common practice. To understand conditions under which women report harassment and its effects, two data sets were analyzed: a telephone survey of Canadian working women and archival data from the Canadian Human Rights Commission. Personal vulnerability, such as age, marital status or income, has little impact. Women tend to file external complaints when harassment involves a supervisor, multiple harassers or is severe. Women who report experience more adverse outcomes than non-reporters. Reporting has a negative effect on work and personal life; the vast majority leave the job where the complaint occurred. Legally relevant variables, such as severity or psychological distress, predict the settlement of complaints.