Ignoring sexism increases women’s tolerance of sexual harassment

Abstract

Women often ignore gender harassment (i.e., sexism). Two studies tested whether ignoring real or imagined sexism increases tolerance of sexual harassment and decreases support for survivors. In Study 1 (n = 252) undergraduate women were randomly assigned to receive a sexist or offensive remark delivered in a serious or humorous manner. Compared to women who confronted sexism, women who ignored it aligned attitudes with behavior and reported more tolerance of sexual harassment. In Study 2 (n = 384), women reported more dissonance when they imagined ignoring a sexist remark compared to having no chance to confront or confronting. Regardless of whether humor was present, the more dissonance, the more they endorsed sexually harassing attitudes and the less they supported survivors.

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