Sexual Harassment as Aggressive Behavior: An Actor-Based Perspective

In research on sexual harassment, authors have given little attention to sexual harassers. The authors of this article present an actor-focused model of sexual harassment interactions. In the model, which is based on interpersonal aggression research, the authors frame sexual harassment as one form of behavior an actor might choose for pursuing valued goals. The model is interactive, in that the authors discuss the effects of sexually harassing actions on the target's perceptions, motives, and behavioral response choice. They also provide propositions to guide future research.