Am J Psychiatry 1994; 151:10-17
Copyright © 1994 by American Psychiatric Association
An overview of sexual harassment
DA Charney and RC Russell
Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Que., Canada.
OBJECTIVE: A few widely publicized cases have made sexual harassment a
salient subject in the 1990s. This article reviews the topic in a
comprehensive manner, with particular attention to demographic information,
psychosocial consequences, appropriate therapeutic interventions, and
related psychological issues. METHOD: Computerized literature searches were
used to identify research and review papers from psychiatry and psychology
journals. Nonscientific works that provide additional information are also
cited. RESULTS: The literature suggests that sexual harassment is a
widespread phenomenon, affecting 42% of women and 15% of men in
occupational settings, 73% of women and 22% of men during medical training,
and lower percentages in other educational settings. Despite the pervasive
nature of this problem, only 1%-7% of victims file formal complaints.
Sexual harassment produces an array of psychological and physical symptoms
in over 90% of victims, and 12% seek help from mental health care
professionals. Self- doubt is a central issue regardless of gender, but in
instances where the perpetrator is male and the victim is female, there are
ramifications unique to the trauma of gender-based abuse. It is critical
that therapists avoid contributing to the process of "second injury" and
not imply that patients have brought their troubles on themselves. Key
therapeutic tasks include empathy, validation, and empowerment.
CONCLUSIONS: Few experimental studies have focused on the victims of sexual
harassment, and none have focused on the perpetrators. Psychiatry can play
an invaluable role in the assessment and treatment of victims, the
fostering of education and research in this area, and the understanding of
underlying psychological and gender issues.
