Index of Sexual Harassment

Abstract

The Index of Sexual Harassment (ISH) is a concise, self-report instrument consisting of 19 category partition items designed to quantify the degree of perceived or experienced sexual harassment. The items reflect behaviors that are generally considered illegal under harassment statutes. Utilizing a relative frequency scale (a Likert-type format), the ISH generates total scores ranging from 0 to 100, where higher scores indicate a greater severity or frequency of harassment experienced. The scale is appropriate for use with all English-speaking populations aged 12 years or older.

Keywords

Index of Sexual Harassment, ISH, Psychometric Scale, Workplace Harassment, Social Work Assessment, Likert-type, Psychological Measurement, Harassment Frequency

Authors

Adrienne L. Decker, Walter W. Hudson

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Index of Sexual Harassment (ISH) is to provide a rapid and standardized measure for assessing the level of sexual harassment experienced by an individual, typically within a workplace or institutional setting. It focuses on behaviors perpetrated by peers or supervisors.

The scale serves as a clinical assessment tool for qualified professionals to identify both minor and serious problems related to personal and social functioning resulting from exposure to harassing behaviors.

Construct

The ISH measures the psychological and social construct of experienced sexual harassment. This construct is operationalized through 19 specific behavioral items that capture various dimensions of harassment, ranging from verbal comments and explicit displays to demands for sexual favors and unwelcome physical contact. The instrument quantifies the relative frequency of these potentially illegal behaviors experienced by the respondent.

Validity

Complete information concerning the validity of the ISH, including detailed analyses of content, factorial, and construct validity, is documented in the 1994 monograph published by WALMYR Publishing Co. However, data pertaining to known groups validity for the ISH scale is not currently available in the published documentation.

Reliability

The internal consistency of the Index of Sexual Harassment is reported to be strong. The measure of internal reliability, Cronbach’s alpha, was calculated at 0.90. The Standard Error of Measurement (SEM) for the scale is 2.97. Data regarding test-retest reliability is not provided in the original documentation.

Factor Analysis

Specific details concerning the factor analysis of the ISH are not provided in the summary data. However, the authors confirm that detailed information concerning the factorial validity of the scale is reported in the comprehensive monograph, Hudson and Decker (1994), which is available through the publisher.

Scoring and Interpretation

The ISH uses a category partition format, where items are scored on a relative frequency scale, typically ranging from 1 (None of the time) to 7 (All of the time).

The total score (S) for the ISH scale is computed using the following formula: S = (ΣX_i – N)(100) / [(K–1)N]. In this formula, X represents an individual item response, i is the item number, K is the total number of response categories (typically 7), and N is the number of properly completed items. This standardization ensures that total scores consistently range from 0 to 100.

The scoring methodology includes a mechanism for handling missing data. If a respondent omits items, their total score remains valid, provided they complete at least 80% of the items. The scoring formula effectively replaces missing values with the mean item response value, ensuring a consistent score range regardless of minor omissions.

Professional Usage Guidelines

The Index of Sexual Harassment is classified among the WALMYR assessment scales, which are designed exclusively for use by qualified professional practitioners. These measurement tools are powerful, yet simple devices intended to identify significant issues in personal and social functioning.

The scales are not intended for use by untrained individuals. They should only be administered and interpreted by competent professionals, researchers, scholars, or those engaged in supervised study and training who are equipped to address the problems revealed by the assessment.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report scale (Short-form, 19 items)

Format: Category partition (Likert-type) items scored on a relative frequency scale (1 to 7)

Language Available: English

Population Group: General population

Age Group: 12 years or older

Population Details: All English-speaking populations

Test Methodology: Self-administered questionnaire, normally completed in 5–7 minutes

Keywords

Sexual Harassment Index, ISH Scoring, Psychometrics, Scale Validation, Hudson and Decker, WALMYR Publishing Co., Internal Consistency

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not provided in source material

Affiliation Email addresses: [email protected] (WALMYR Publishing Co.)

Correspondence Address: WALMYR Publishing Co., P.O. Box 12217, Tallahassee, FL 32317-2217

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The Index of Sexual Harassment was copyrighted in 1993 by Adrienne L. Decker. The instrument is published by WALMYR Publishing Co. The documentation explicitly states that it is illegal to photocopy or otherwise reproduce the scale without permission. Users must contact the publisher for information regarding fees and licensing.

Reference’s

• Hudson, W. W., & Decker, A. L. (1994). The Index of Sexual Harassment: A partial validation. The WALMYR Monograph Series. Tempe, AZ: WALMYR Publishing Co.

Items of the Index of Sexual Harassment

The following is the standard response mode and the 19 scale items of the Index of Sexual Harassment (ISH). Respondents are asked to place a number beside each item based on the following frequency scale:

1 = None of the time
2 = Very rarely
3 = A little of the time
4 = Some of the time
5 = A good part of the time
6 = Most of the time
7 = All of the time

1. My peer or supervisor tells sexually explicit jokes at work.

2. My peer or supervisor describes me or a coworker using sexually explicit terminology.

3. My peer or supervisor creates offensive rumors concerning the appearance or sexual behavior of me or a coworker.

4. My peer or supervisor uses subtle questioning to determine my or my coworker’s sexual behavior or availability.

5. My peer or supervisor repeatedly asks me or a coworker for a date.

6. My peer or supervisor asks me or a coworker for sexual favors.

7. My peer or supervisor places obscene phone calls to me or a coworker.

8. My peer or supervisor offers me or a coworker compensation or work benefits in exchange for sexual favors.

9. My peer or supervisor demands sexual favors from me or a coworker to maintain job security.

10. My peer or supervisor displays sexually explicit photographs and pictures at work.

11. My peer or supervisor produces sexually explicit graffiti for display at work.

12. My peer or supervisor shows pornographic videotapes at work.

13. My peer or supervisor sends sexually explicit letters, cards or other written material to me or a coworker.

14. My peer or supervisor uses gestures or starting considered sexually offensive by me or a coworker.

15. My peer or supervisor stalks me or a coworker to pressure a personal relationship.

16. My peer or supervisor blocks my or a coworker’s pathway to force physical contact.

17. My peer or supervisor touches self sexually in the presence of me or a coworker.

18. My peer or supervisor touches me or a coworker in a sexually offensive manner.

19. My peer or supervisor initiates unwelcome sexual activity with me or a coworker.