Open AccessDeviant Behavior in Computer‐Mediated Communication: Development and Validation of a Measure of Cybersexual Harassment
Author(s) -
Ritter Barbara A.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of computer‐mediated communication
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.15
H-Index - 119
ISSN - 1083-6101
DOI - 10.1111/jcc4.12039
Subject(s) - harassment , perception , prejudice (legal term) , psychology , social psychology , affect (linguistics) , measure (data warehouse) , applied psychology , computer science , communication , data mining , neuroscience
The use of computer‐mediated communication continues to increase dramatically in organizations, bringing with it new avenues for sexual harassment. Despite the recognition that cybersexual harassment is an important phenomenon and that the online behaviors of employees can adversely affect the organization, there is little research on the development of instruments to measure related constructs. In the present study, scales are created to measure perceptions of the online environment that are thought to precipitate the occurrence of harassment and intentions to engage in sexually harassing behavior. It is found that perceptions of the online environment as stimulating (where risk taking is exhilarating), and as an environment in which blatant prejudice is acceptable, are related to multiple forms of cybersexual harassment .