Differences in Perception and Number of Incidents of Sexual Harassment Among College Students in the United States and the Federal Republic of Germany

The purpose of the study was to determine the difference between American and German students in perception and frequency of sexual harassment. The participants were female Old Dominion University psychology undergraduates and psychology students from the Universitaet Freiburg. A survey containing the Sexual Experiences Questionnaire {SEQ), the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and modified questions from Gutek's (1985) Main Questionnaire (Women's Version) was used. The survey was designed to reveal sexual harassment experiences in the work environment or in the university setting, while measuring the effect of the experiences on self-esteem and the students' reactions to the incidents. The results indicated that the German student sample reported a lower total number of sexual harassment incidents than the US student sample. Overall, the German students revealed lower scores on the Gender Harassment„ Unwanted Sexual Attention and Sexual Coercion SEQ-subscales than the US students. The German subjects experienced unwanted sexual attention and sexual coercion, but only reported gender harassment as sexual harassment. On the contrary, for the US students all three SEQ subscales significantly correlated with the perception of sexual harassment. The experience of sexual harassment did not have a significant impact on the self-esteem for either student group and no significant difference was found between the German and the US student samples for Gutek's Reactions to Sexual Harassment scale. Additionally, no difference in the general attitude toward sexual behavior at work was found between the student groups. Future studies might explore the cultural differences between the l JS and Germany that influence the perception and experience of German and American female students.