Factors Affecting Bystanders' Decision to Intervene in Sexual Harassment

Background/Purpose: Sexual harassment is pervasive in sport, as female coaches, athletes, reporters, and administrators have all reported being subjected to this discriminatory behavior. Research suggests, however, that less than 13% of direct victims report sexual harassment. Therein lies the importance of bystanders to sexual harassment and the steps they take in reporting and stopping the behaviors. In drawing from the social psychology and organizational behavior literatures, the purpose of this study was to examine factors that influence those decisions. We hypothesized that the type of harassment and the organizational culture of diversity would both predict behavioral intentions. These relationships were also expected to be moderated by the bystander's political orientation.

Method: An experimental study (n = 183 students) was designed to test the study predictions. Participants read a scenario in which the culture of the athletic department (compliant or proactive) and the type of sexual harassment (hostile environment or quid pro quo) were manipulated. Following the description, the participants completed a questionnaire in which they provided their demographics and responded to items measuring their willingness to intervene in a sexually harassing situation.

Analysis/Results: Analysis of variance indicated that participants considered the quid pro quo form of harassment to be more severe and the proactive culture to be more supportive of diversity; thus the manipulation was successful. A moderated regression was used to test the advanced hypothesis. Results indicate that participants were more willing to intervene when witnessing more severe harassment (quid pro quo), but effects for culture were not observed. Support for moderation was also found, as such that participants who ascribe to more liberal ideals indicated they would respond more assertively to hostile environment harassment and in compliant organizations. The total model explained 15% in bystanders' behavioral intentions.

Conclusions: Findings from this study suggest employees' personal characteristics (i.e. political views) may influence their decisions to intervene in sexual harassment incidents more than environmental factors (i.e. the organizational culture). Also, the findings are consistent with previous literature addressing the differential severity of harassment types. It may be the case that bystanders experience more distress from a quid pro quo situation and therefore feel more compelled to act. Perhaps the most important implication from this study is the need for sport organizations to integrate commitment to social change into their definition of diversity, such that unethical behaviors will be reported and eradicated.