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Sexual harassment at school and university as predictors of depressive symptomology

Bassham, Kendra (2020) Sexual harassment at school and university as predictors of depressive symptomology. Masters thesis, York St John University.

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Abstract

Sexual harassment is a frequently experienced behaviour in schools and universities (AAUW, 1993, 2001; Chiodo et al., 2009). Research has found evidence for a relationship between sexual harassment and negative mental health including depression. Research has also suggested a relationship between early and later sexual harassment. However, the effect that sexual harassment at school and university has on depressive symptomology is relatively unknown. The current study aimed to address this by examining experiences of sexual harassment at school and university, whilst alsolooking at the continuation of these behaviours from one education level to another and the extent to which this affects depressive symptomology. Participants (n = 130, 83.8% females, age M = 21.09 years, SD = 4.25) completed measures of current and retrospective sexual harassment and depressive symptomology. Linear regressions showed that online and offline sexual harassment at school significantly predicted online and offline sexual harassment at university. A hierarchical multiple regression
analysis revealed online sexual harassment at school to be the only predictor of depression among participants, therefore showing that sexual harassment that takes place at school is especially detrimental to individuals and can have long-lasting effects. These findings suggest a greater need for research to examine sexual harassment in adolescents and young adults, and especially in schools, to further examine the negative effects these experiences have on mental health in individuals.

Item Type: Thesis (Masters)
Status: Published
Subjects: B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology
School/Department: School of Education, Language and Psychology
URI: https://ray.yorksj.ac.uk/id/eprint/5465

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