No More Rose Colored Lenses: A Study of University Students’ Changing Perceptions of Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

The presence and impact of sexual harassment at work has long been underestimated by those most directly impacted, including university students readying to enter the work force. The current study compares university students’ expectations regarding the likelihood and impact of sexual harassment in the workforce, across a ten-year divide. Today’s cohort are more aware of the possibility of harassment, but fairly unconcerned about the potential for personal impact upon their own career, an important and consequential perceptual error. Any discrepancy between expectations and the realities of the workforce may lead to damaging consequences for both business and employees, raising the question of how educators may work to minimize such consequences. Therefore a detailed discussion is also included on recent work within higher education, regarding how to best approach the topic the issue of sexual harassment within the classroom.