Harassment Claims By Less Feminine Women Are Taken Less Seriously

A new study suggests that sexual harassment claims from more masculine women are taken less seriously. Women who don't wear feminine clothes, love shopping, or like romantic movies were seen as less credible. In the study, participants were given scenarios and descriptions of the women it had happened to and asked to label them. Participants were more likely to label the scenarios with the more attractive female stereotype as sexual harassment. When given the same scenario with a description of a more masculine woman, the participants deemed it not to be. The study suggests that non-stereotypical women who are sexually harassed may be more vulnerable. Our findings demonstrate that non-stereotypical women who are sexually harassed may be vulnerable to unjust and discriminatory treatment when they seek legal recourse, Study Co-Author Bryn Bandt-Law