The book first defines sexual harassment, including operational, sociological and legal definitions, and then provides a history of the issue in the United States and a theoretical framework of why harassment occurs. This is followed by a look at the legal dimension of the problem, with a discussion of pertinent federal and state laws and decisions. The incidence and settings (e.g., workplace, housing, religious institutions) are next examined, followed by chapters on sexual harassment in the government, the military, and in education. The book concludes with discussions of strategies for the victims and for employers.

Excerpt
The Senators were shocked by the strength of the reaction from the women of America when Anita Hill charged Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas with sexual harassment. They were so taken aback that they did not confirm Clarence Thomas on Tuesday, October 8, 1991 as originally planned. Instead they postponed the vote a week and scheduled unprecedented hearings on Anita Hill's charges against Clarence Thomas. Subsequently, the Senate confirmed Clarence Thomas by a narrow margin of 52 and 48, but those who supported Thomas have not had an easy time of it after Thomas was confirmed.

The close Senate vote mirrored a deeply divided society. To those who felt Anita Hill was telling the truth, it confirmed that the majority of the Senate was out of touch with the women of America. To them, it was clear that the Senate and much of society were ignorant about the issue of sexual harassment and the case law established in the late 1970s and the 1980s.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Tables and Figures
Foreword (by Winston Burt)
Preface
Acknowledgments
Abbreviations
Introduction
Chapter One: Defining Sexual Harassment
Chapter Two: The History of Sexual Harassment in America
Chapter Three: Theoretical Framework
Chapter Four: Legal Dimensions (Coauthored by Rosemarie Skaine and James C. Skaine)
Chapter Five: Incidence and Settings
Chapter Six: Victims and Harassers
Chapter Seven: Sexual Harassment in Government
Chapter Eight: Sexual Harassment in Education (Coauthored by Rosemarie Skaine and James C. Skaine)
Chapter Nine: Sexual Harassment in the Military (Includes Tailhook 91)
Chapter Ten: Strategies for the Victim
Chapter Eleven: Policy Strategies for the Organization and Society
Chapter Twelve: A Society Without Sexual Harassment
Appendices
Glossary
Bibliography
Index