Sexual Harassment Experiences Questionnaire
Sexual Harassment Experiences Questionnaire (SHEQ) · Also known as: SHEQ, Workplace Sexual Harassment Scale
The Sexual Harassment Experiences Questionnaire measures employee exposure to unwanted sexual behavior, comments, and coercion in the workplace. Developed by Fitzgerald, Gelfand, and Drasgow, the SHEQ distinguishes between gender harassment, unwanted sexual attention, and sexual coercion—recognizing that sexual harassment spans a continuum from crude jokes to assault. The scale is foundational for occupational health surveillance, legal compliance documentation, and evaluation of organizational prevention efforts.
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When to use it
The SHEQ is essential for all occupational settings where women are employed, with particular attention to male-dominated sectors (construction, military, engineering, finance) and sectors with prior harassment documentation (hospitality, healthcare, academia). Use in baseline organizational assessments, climate surveys, post-incident investigations, and periodic monitoring. Particularly valuable in organizations addressing prior harassment scandals or implementing new harassment prevention policies. Suitable for adults (18+) and may be adapted for younger workers in vocational settings; populations with prior sexual trauma may require trauma-informed administration.
Strengths & limitations
- Captures the multidimensional nature of sexual harassment (gender harassment, unwanted attention, coercion) rather than reducing it to a binary yes/no, enabling nuanced intervention design
- Extensively validated across occupational sectors and countries; strong psychometric evidence for reliability and construct validity
- Generates organizationally actionable data: prevalence estimates drive prevention investment, high-risk roles or departments are identified, and baseline/post-intervention comparison is feasible
- Links documented harassment exposure to occupational health outcomes (PTSD, depression, burnout, absenteeism, turnover), making the case for prevention as a public health priority
- Frequency-based scoring captures both 'isolated incident' and 'chronic harassment' distinctions important for victim support and perpetrator accountability
- Self-report bias; women may underreport due to shame, fear of retaliation, or normalization of harassment within organizational culture ('boys will be boys' environments suppress reporting)
- Cultural and definitional variation; 'unwelcome sexual comment' may be interpreted differently across age, region, and professional context, affecting cross-cultural validity
- Recall bias for incidents beyond the past 12 months; longer timeframes (e.g., entire career) increase underreporting due to forgotten incidents or suppressed memory
- Frequency scales do not capture severity or impact; a single severe assault and multiple crude jokes may receive similar numerical scores if frequency bins overlap
- Male and non-binary worker underrepresentation; most validation studies focused on women; heterosexual men and LGBTQ+ workers' harassment experiences may differ and are less well-documented
Frequently asked
What is the difference between 'gender harassment' and 'unwanted sexual attention' on this scale?
Gender harassment includes crude jokes, offensive materials, and comments about someone's body or sexuality that are not directed as personal advances. Unwanted sexual attention includes direct advances (requests for dates, touching, pressure for sexual activity). Both are harassment, but gender harassment is more ambient ('anyone could experience it') while unwanted attention is targeted. Prevention strategies differ: gender harassment requires cultural change and bystander intervention, while unwanted attention often involves power dynamics and requires clearer boundaries and consequences.
If a woman reports occasional unwanted comments but not repeated incidents, should we be concerned?
Yes. Even 'occasional' harassment signals a cultural issue: comments that make someone feel unsafe or disrespected should not occur at all in a healthy workplace. The frequency scale helps distinguish isolated missteps from chronic behavior, but any score above 'never' warrants investigation. A single severe comment may be more harmful than multiple mild ones; also, 'occasional' from a survey responder may mean 'I stopped counting' or 'I got used to it,' masking chronic exposure.
How do I administer this questionnaire sensitively if the respondent becomes upset?
Use trauma-informed practices: offer participants the option to skip items, provide access to counseling resources, and ensure respondents understand the questionnaire is not a formal complaint (if they wish to report, direct them to HR or a formal complaint channel). Administer in a confidential setting (not in a group). Allow breaks. Brief respondents beforehand about the content (sexual harassment questions). After completion, provide written resources (employee assistance program, counseling hotlines, organizational policy information).
What should I do if my organization's harassment prevalence score is high?
High prevalence (e.g., >30% reporting any harassment) requires urgent action: (1) conduct detailed interviews or focus groups to understand which roles, departments, or perpetrator types are driving incidents; (2) implement or strengthen reporting and investigation processes; (3) provide victim support (counseling, flexible scheduling options); (4) implement bystander intervention training and accountability for perpetrators; (5) repeat the survey 12–18 months post-intervention to measure impact. Consult occupational health and legal specialists; high prevalence may trigger regulatory investigation or liability exposure.
Sources
- Fitzgerald, L. F., Gelfand, M. J., & Drasgow, F. (1995). Measuring sexual harassment: Theoretical and psychometric advances. Basic Appl Soc Psychol, 17(4), 425–445. DOI: 10.1207/s15324834basp1704_2 ↗
- Gruber, J. E. (1998). The impact of male work environments and organizational policies on women's experiences of sexual harassment. Gender Work Organ, 5(2), 86–104. DOI: 10.1177/0891243298012003004 ↗
How to cite this page
ScholarGate. (2026, June 3). Sexual Harassment Experiences Questionnaire (SHEQ). ScholarGate. https://scholargate.app/en/occupational-health/sexual-harassment-experiences-questionnaire
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