Changed women and changed organizations: Consequences of and coping with sexual harassment

Sexual harassment has been conceptualized as a form of gender-based abuse which has significant effects on victims. This article reviews research on effects of harassment in three complementary areas. Work-related, psychological, and somatic effects of sexual harassment on women workers are reviewed, as are the impacts on the employing organization. The third part of the review deals with women victims′ responses to harassment and attempts to cope with harassment. The most frequently used attempts to cope may not be effective under certain circumstances. The available research has significant shortcomings and reveals important gaps. It yields a laundry list of effects and responses, but it does not allow us to specify conditions under which particular effects will occur or the factors that affect choice of response. Compared to other facets of sexual harassment, the topic of outcomes of harassment has generated relatively little interest among researchers. Reasons for the lack of research in this area are discussed.