Sexual Harassment Survey Data

 

In 1995, the Department of Defense administered a survey, entitled Status of the Armed Forces - Gender Issues.  Over 28,000 military personnel returned the survey.  The survey included over 130 questions, some with multiple parts.  Many of these questions were asked as part of scales -- that is, questions on the same topic.  For example, there were 4 questions asking how satisfied the respondents were with their health.  Responses to these questions were summed; only these summed "scale scores" are included in the accompanying data file. Additionally, to create a more manageable data file, yet one that could still be considered interesting, a 5% sample of the respondents was drawn.  Thus, the accompanying data file contains responses from 1400 people.

 

Following is a comprehensive list of the variables that were retained in the accompanying data file, in the order in which they appear in the data file.  Information describing the variable, the variable type (nominal, ordinal, scale), as well as the meaning of any particular values that the variable might take are listed below.  Please note that when several items were summed to create a "scale score," the number of items that were summed as well as the range of possible values that this scale score might take is also listed.  Additionally, when the concept that a scale is measuring might not be obvious, sample items are provided.

 

 

Name                      Variable description                                                                                                                                       Variable type

 

ID                           Participant ID number                                                                                                                        Nominal

 

AGE                        Participant age (in years)                                                                                                                   Scale

 

EDUCAT                  Highest Attained Education Level                                                                                                  Ordinal

 

MARSTAT                Marital Status                                                                                                                              Nominal

 

TENURE                   # years in military                                                                                                                            Scale

 

SEX                        Participant Sex                                                                                                                                  Nominal

 

SERVICE                  Participant Military Service                                                                                                                 Nominal

 

PAY_GP                   Military Paygrade Group                                                                                                                Nominal

 

          Value    Label

              1    E-1, E-2, E-3                      [E = enlisted, higher numbers have higher rank]

              4    E-4

              5    E-5, E-6

              7    E-7, E-8, E-9

             11    Warrant Officers

             21    O-1, O-2, O-3                  [O = officer, higher numbers have higher rank]

             24    O-4 and above

 

PAY_CAT                  Military Personnel Category                                                                                                           Nominal

 

          Value    Label

              1    Enlisted

             11    Warrant Officers

             21    Commis. Officers

 

ETHN_GP                  Ethnic Group                                                                                                                              Nominal

 

          Value    Label

              1    White (non-Hispanic)

              2    Black (non-Hispanic)

              3    American Indian/ Native Alaskan

              4    Asian, Pacific Islander

              5    Hispanic

 

MINORITY                 Minority Status                                                                                                                              Nominal

 

SUPSEX                   Participant's Supervisor's Sex                                                                                                            Nominal

 

COWSEX                 Coworker Sex in Current Work Group                                                                                                 Ordinal

 

          Value    Label

              1    all men

              2    almost all men

              3    more men than women

              4    equal numbers

              5    more women than men

              6    almost all women

              7    all women

 

COWRACE                  Coworker Race in Current Work Group                                                                                                Ordinal

 

          Value    Label

              1    everyone is of my background

              2    almost everyone is of my background

              3    more of my background than others

              4    about equal numbers of my background and others

              5    more of other backgrounds

              6    almost everyone is of other background

              7    I am only person of my background

 

JOBNOGEN                 Working in Job Not Usually Held by Personnel of your Gender?                                                        Nominal

 

GENUNCOM                 Work Environment where Personnel of Gender Uncommon?                                                                         Nominal

 

LIKESTAY                 Likelihood that Stay in Military?                                                                                                          Scale

 

          Value    Label

              1    very unlikely

              2    unlikely

              3    undecided

              4    likely

              5    very unlikely

 

PREP_TR                  Given training & experience, how prepared are you to perform your wartime job?                          Scale

 

          Value    Label

              1    very poorly prepared

              2    poorly prepared

              3    neither well nor poorly prepared

              4    well prepared

              5    very well prepared

 

PREP_PHY                 How prepared are you physically to perform your wartime job?                                                 Scale

 

          Value    Label

              1    very poorly prepared

              2    poorly prepared

              3    neither well nor poorly prepared

              4    well prepared

              5    very well prepared

 

Note:  For all scale scores, a higher value indicates "more" of that concept.  For example, a higher value on Health Satisfaction means that this person is more satisfied with his/her health.

 

HELSAT                   Health Satisfaction (4 items, range 4-20)                                                                              Scale

 

WELLBEAN                 Psychological Well-being (5 items, range 0-25)                                                                             Scale

 

EMOTCOMM                 Emotional Commitment to Military Service (5 items, range 5-25)                                               Scale

                                             I am proud to tell others that I am a member of my Service.

 

BEHCOMM                  Behavioral Commitment to Military Service (6 items, range 6-30)                                                               Scale

                                             Being a member of my Service inspires me to do the best job I can.

 

COWSAT                   Coworker Satisfaction (3 items, range 3-15)                                                                             Scale

 

SUPSAT                   Supervisor Satisfaction (6 items, range 6-30)                                                                             Scale

 

PROMSAT                  Satisfaction with Promotional Opportunities (8 items, range 8-40)                                               Scale

 

SKILUTIL                 Satisfaction with Extent Skills Utilized in Job (4 items, range 4-20)                                               Scale

 

JOBSAT                   General Job Satisfaction (3 items, range 3-15)                                                                             Scale

 

WKPROD                   Self-perceived Work Group Productivity (5 items, range 5-25)                                               Scale

 

SEXIST                                  Sexist Gender Harassment (4 items, range 0-16)                                                                                     Scale

                                             Made offensive sexist remarks (e.g., that people of your sex aren't suited for your job).

 

SEXUAL                   Sexual Gender Harassment (8 items, range 0-32)                                                                                     Scale

                                             Made crude and offensive sexual remarks, either publicly or to you privately.

 

UNWANTED                 Unwanted Sexual Attention (6 items, range 0-24)                                                                             Scale

                                             Touched you in a way that made you feel uncomfortable.

 

QPQ                        Quid Pro Quo (5 items, range 0-20)                                                                                                 Scale

                                             Implied faster promotions or better treatment if you were sexually cooperative.

 

SH_TOTAL                 Total Sexual Harassment (23 items, range 0-92)                                                                                     Scale

                                             [Note:  This scale sums the previous four specific types of harassing behaviors.]

 

SH_LABEL                 Label Experience as Sexual Harassment?                                                                                           Scale

 

          Value    Label

              0    none

              1    some were, some weren't

              2    all were

 

SH_FREQ                  Sexual Harassment Frequency Groups                                                                              Ordinal

 

          Value    Label

              0    not harassed

              1    low freq.

              2    mod. freq.

              3    high freq.

 

SEXASSLT                 Sexual Assault Experiences (2 items, range 0-8)                                                                                           Scale

                                             [Note:  These 2 items are also included in the Unwanted Sexual Attention Scale.]

 

HARASSED                 Experience Any Sexually Harassing Behavior?                                                                                           Nominal

 

          Value    Label

              1    no

              2    yes

 

SH_TYPE                  Type of Harassing Behaviors Experienced                                                                                                      Nominal

 

          Value    Label

              1    sxist only

              2    sxist & sxual

              3    sxual only

              4    sxist & usa

              5    sxual & usa

              6    usa only

              7    sxist & qpq

              8    sxual & qpq

              9    usa & qpq

             10    qpq only

             11    sxist, sxual & usa

             12    sxist, sxual & qpq

             13    all 4 types of har

 

PERPSEX                  Sex of Perpetrator                                                                                                                      Nominal

 

          Value    Label

              1    same as your own

              2    different than your own

              3    some same, some different

 

Note:  Participants were asked how they responded to their experiences with the following five questions (RESP1 - RESP5).  All five questions used the same response options:

 

          Value    Label

              0    no

              1    yes

 

RESP1                    Response:  Seek Medical Attention?                                                                                                          Nominal

 

RESP2                    Response: Seek Counseling from Chaplain/Religious Source?                                                                Nominal

 

RESP3                    Response:  Seek Psychological Counseling?                                                                                        Nominal

 

RESP4                    Response:  File a Formal Complaint?                                                                                                        Nominal

 

RESP5                    Response:  Think About Leaving Military Service?                                                                                  Nominal

 

Note:  Participants who did not file a formal complaint in response to their experience were asked why they hadn't done so.  They could respond affirmatively (i.e., that this was one reason they didn't file a complaint) to as many of the following questions as were relevant.  Thus, all 18 questions are scored as follows:

 

          Value    Label

              1    not endorsed

              2    endorsed

 

WHYNOT1                  I did not think it was that important.                                                                                                         Nominal

 

WHYNOT2                  I did not know what to do.                                                                                                                   Nominal

 

WHYNOT3                  I took care of the problem myself.                                                                                               Nominal

 

WHYNOT4                  I did not think anything would be done.                                                                              Nominal

 

WHYNOT5                  I was too afraid.                                                                                                                              Nominal

 

WHYNOT6                  I was too embarrassed.                                                                                                                   Nominal

 

WHYNOT7                  I thought I would not be believed.                                                                                                           Nominal

 

WHYNOT8                  I thought it would make my work situation unpleasant.                                                                          Nominal

 

WHYNOT9                  I thought it would take too much time and effort.                                                                                 Nominal

 

WHYNOT10                 The person(s) was (were) not assigned to my duty station.                                                                Nominal

 

WHYNOT11                 I thought I would be labeled a troublemaker.                                                                                     Nominal

 

WHYNOT12                 I was talked out of making a formal complaint by a PEER.                                                                           Nominal

 

WHYNOT13                 I was talked out of making a formal report by a SUPERVISOR.                                                       Nominal

 

WHYNOT14                 I did not want to hurt the person who bothered me.                                                                       Nominal

 

WHYNOT15                 I wanted to fit in with my work group.                                                                                                       Nominal

 

WHYNOT16                 I didn't know the person(s) who did it.                                                                                                          Nominal

 

WHYNOT17                 I thought my performance evaluation or chances for promotion                                                             Nominal

 

WHYNOT18                 The person who bothered me was my supervisor.                                                                                    Nominal

 

 

OFFENSI                  Offensiveness of Experience (4 items, range 0-16)                                                              Scale

 

PROCSAT                  Satisfaction with Reporting Procedures (7 items, range 7-35)                                                          Scale

 

PROACT                   Military Service Proactive Regarding Sexual Harassment (5 items, range 0-20)                                                Scale

 

POLICY    Military Provides Policies Regarding Sexual Harassment (10 items, range 0-20)                                                Scale

 

STOPSH                   Leadership Takes Strides to Stop Sexual Harassment (3 items, range 0-6)                                                  Scale

 

SH_ATTIT                 Attitude that Sexual Harassment is "Big Deal" (2 items, range 2-10)                                                          Scale

 

SH_TRAIN                 Amount of Sexual Harassment Training (4 items, range 0-4)                                                                           Scale