Sensitivity to Verbally and Physically Harassing Behaviors and Reported Incidents in Junior High/Middle School Students

The purpose of the researcher was to investigate the sensitivity of junior high/middle school students to statements depicting verbal and physical sexual harassment. The following independent variables were investigated: gender, grade level, age, size of district, grades received, participation in sports, birth order, developmental level and self esteem. The dependent variables were scores from the following scales of the Sensitivity to Verbal and Physical Harassing Behavior Questionnaire: Verbal Harassing Behaviors, Physical Harassing Behaviors and Total. The sample consisted of 201 junior high/middle school students, 103 males and 98 females. Six composite null hypotheses were tested at the .05 level employing a three-way analysis of variance (general linear model). A total of 98 comparisons were made plus 45 recurring. Of the 98 comparisons, 27 were for main effects and 51 for interactions. Of the 27 main effects 6 were statistically significant at the .05 level. Of the 51 interactions 6 were statistically significant at the .05 level. The results of the present study appeared to support the following generalizations: 1. females have greater sensitivity to Verbal Harassing Behaviors than males, 2. females have greater sensitivity to Physical Harassing Behaviors than males, 3. females have greater sensitivity to Total than males, 4. grade level and size of district should be interpreted concurrently for the dependent variable Physical Harassing Behaviors, 5. participation in sports and birth order should be interpreted concurrently for the dependent variable Verbal Harassing Behaviors, 6. grades received, participation in sports and birth order should be interpreted concurrently for the dependent variable Physical Harassing Behaviors, 7. grades received, participation in sports and birth order should be interpreted concurrently for the dependent variable Total, and 8. subjects reported high sensitivity