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Stranger Harassment: An Investigation of the Protective Role of Feminism and Womanism

Yetzer, Megan
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4945-9731
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1468347856

Abstract Details

2016, Doctor of Philosophy, University of Akron, Counseling Psychology.
Stranger harassment is a specific line of sexism research that documents women’s experiences of harassment in public spaces perpetrated by men that they do not know. These experiences can lead to many negative outcomes for women such as higher rates of body shame, body surveillance, depression, disordered eating, and increases in fear of rape (Fairchild & Rudman, 2008). The negative impacts of stranger harassment necessitate identifying what factors might be protective for women and reduce psychological distress. Data was collected from a total of 503 university students and community members. Path analysis revealed that none of the models demonstrated adequate model-data fit. Individual paths were examined in an effort to clarify trends within the data. Racial identity of the participants was observed to have a consistent impact on stranger harassment within all of the original and post hoc models. One additional finding observed with one model indicated that stranger harassing experiences did indeed result in high rates of psychological distress. It also became apparent that women experience stranger harassment often, as 90% of participants answered yes when they were asked if they had ever experienced catcalls, whistles, or stares from a stranger. Overall, between 25.8% - 90.1% of the women in the current study experienced some form of stranger harassment, ranging from sexist remarks or behaviors from a stranger (83.3%) to direct or explicit pressure to cooperate sexually from a stranger (25.8%). Thus preliminary evidence adds support to the literature base that stranger harassment is phenomenon warranting further study separate from more general sexual harassment research, and that a woman’s racial identity is likely to impact her experience of stranger harassment. It also points to the necessity for future research to investigate protective factors for reducing psychological distress.
Dawn Johnson (Advisor)
Kathryn Feltey (Committee Member)
Suzette Speight (Committee Member)
David Tokar (Committee Member)
Ingrid Weigold (Committee Member)
192 p.
Counseling Psychology
Stranger Harassment; Feminism; Womanism

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Yetzer, M. (2016). Stranger Harassment: An Investigation of the Protective Role of Feminism and Womanism [Doctoral dissertation, University of Akron]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1468347856

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Yetzer, Megan. Stranger Harassment: An Investigation of the Protective Role of Feminism and Womanism. 2016. University of Akron, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1468347856.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Yetzer, Megan. "Stranger Harassment: An Investigation of the Protective Role of Feminism and Womanism." Doctoral dissertation, University of Akron, 2016. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1468347856

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

akron1468347856
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© 2016, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by University of Akron and OhioLINK.