Study: Why men harass co-workers at work

Men are more likely to flirt with women at work when they want to be seen as strong. This is the conclusion reached by psychologists from the University of California, whose study was published in the journal Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes.

In the study, 2.5 thousand people took part. All of them passed the assessment of sexual identity, evaluating their sexual attractiveness, charm, as well as the desire to flirt with others for their own purposes and other indicators. The researchers then conducted six experiments designed to assess the volunteers' sexual behavior at work. For example, in one of them, participants had to schedule an interaction with a colleague of the opposite sex based on different motives.

It turned out that men more often resort to molestation, flirting and harassment, when they want to create the image of a person who has the power in his hands. No such behavior was observed among women. And it was more often resorted to by men in lower positions.

The researchers noted. they were surprised that subordinate men were more prone to sexually offensive behavior, such as vulgar compliments, than powerful men. This suggests that these participants were driven by a desire for more power, they wanted to appear more powerful.

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