Workplace Harassment and Anxiety Among Internship Students in Malaysia: The Moderating Role of Gender

Workplace harassment poses a significant threat to the psychological well-being of internship students, yet limited evidence exists on whether gender shapes this relationship in Malaysian organizational contexts. This study examined the relationship between workplace harassment and anxiety among internship students in Malaysia and evaluated the moderating role of gender. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 247 internship students from the Faculty of Business and Management, Universiti Teknologi MARA. Workplace harassment was measured using three dimensions: workplace bullying, abusive supervision, and interpersonal conflict, while anxiety was assessed using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7). Pearson correlation analysis showed that all harassment dimensions were positively and significantly related to anxiety: bullying (r = .367, p < .001), abusive supervision (r = .386, p < .001), and interpersonal conflict (r = .376, p < .001). The composite harassment scores also demonstrated a significant positive association with anxiety (r = .420, p < .001). Hierarchical moderated regression analysis revealed that workplace harassment significantly predicted anxiety (b = .621, p < .001, R² = .188). However, the interaction between workplace harassment and gender was non-significant (b = −.163, p = .452), indicating that gender did not moderate the relationship. The findings suggest that workplace harassment is a substantial predictor of anxiety among interns regardless of gender. Universities and host organizations should implement gender-inclusive anti-harassment policies and psychological support mechanisms to safeguard interns’ well-being.