Measuring sexual harassment: development and validation of the Sexual Harassment Inventory

Sexual harassment is a pervasive and damaging public health problem, yet the natural history is poorly understood, and research in this area has tended to focus on prevalence reporting. We describe the development and initial validation results of a survey tool, the Sexual Harassment Inventory, that may be helpful in future epidemiologic research. This 20-item instrument can be readily adapted for use in different populations and may be scored to measure the severity as well as the occurrence of sexual harassment. Routine use of this or some other standardized measurement tool would help clarify our understanding of the natural history and health costs of sexual harassment.