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The Changing Nature of Employment-Related Sexual Harassment: Evidence from the U.S. Federal Government, 1978–1994

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Listed:
  • Heather Antecol
  • Deborah Cobb-Clark

Abstract

This paper examines the changing nature of attitudes toward and reports of sexual harassment using data for 1978–94 drawn from the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board (USMSPB) of the U.S. federal government. The authors find that although unwanted sexual behavior reported by federal government employees changed only slightly in overall incidence over the period, its pattern changed noticeably. Unwanted sexual attention by supervisors, for example, declined in incidence; crude and offensive behavior by co-workers increased; and the likelihood that harassment would occur only once (rather than repeatedly) increased. Employees' attitudes toward sexual harassment changed markedly, with a dramatically increased willingness to define unwanted sexual behavior as sexual harassment. This trend appears to have been due not to changes in employees' demographic, human capital, and job characteristics, but rather to structural changes in their views of what constitutes sexual harassment.

Suggested Citation

  • Heather Antecol & Deborah Cobb-Clark, 2004. "The Changing Nature of Employment-Related Sexual Harassment: Evidence from the U.S. Federal Government, 1978–1994," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 57(3), pages 443-461, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:ilrrev:v:57:y:2004:i:3:p:443-461
    DOI: 10.1177/001979390405700307
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. David N. Laband & Bernard F. Lentz, 1998. "The Effects of Sexual Harassment on Job Satisfaction, Earnings, and Turnover among Female Lawyers," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 51(4), pages 594-607, July.
    2. Heather Antecol & Deborah Cobb‐clark, 2003. "Does Sexual Harassment Training Change Attitudes? A View from the Federal Level," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 84(4), pages 826-842, December.
    3. Antecol, Heather & Cobb-Clark, Deborah, 2006. "The sexual harassment of female active-duty personnel: Effects on job satisfaction and intentions to remain in the military," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 61(1), pages 55-80, September.
    4. Gregory B. Lewis, 1996. "Gender Integration of Occupations in the Federal Civil Service: Extent and Effects on Male-Female Earnings," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 49(3), pages 472-483, April.
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    6. Leonard, Jonathan S, 1990. "The Impact of Affirmative Action Regulation and Equal Employment Law on Black Employment," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 4(4), pages 47-63, Fall.
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    Cited by:

    1. Olle Folke & Johanna Rickne, 2022. "Sexual Harassment and Gender Inequality in the Labor Market [High Wage Workers and High Wage Firms]," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, Oxford University Press, vol. 137(4), pages 2163-2212.
    2. Elias, Andersson & Maria, Johansson, 2025. "Revisiting the gendered division of labour in Swedish forestry: What has changed the last decade?," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 174(C).
    3. Azmat, Ghazala & Boring, Anne, 2020. "Gender Diversity in Firms," IZA Policy Papers 168, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    4. Olle Folke & Johanna Rickne, 2023. "Sexual Harassment and Gender Inequality in the Labor Market," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 137(4), pages 2163-2212.
    5. Olle Folke & Johanna Rickne, 2023. "Sexual Harassment and Gender Inequality in the Labor Market," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 137(4), pages 2163-2212.

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