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From the Kitchen to the Bedroom

Frequency Rates and Consequences of Sexual Harassment Among Female Domestic Workers in Brazil

Illinois State University, erdesou{at}ilstu.edu

Elder Cerqueira

Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul

Sexual harassment has been investigated mostly in developed countries. The authors examined frequency rates and consequences of sexual harassment among female domestic workers in Brazil. Twenty-six percent had been sexually harassed at work during the past year. Live-in workers were at significantly greater risk for experiencing sexual harassment than those residing in their own homes, when controlling for participants' age, race, and social class. Women residing in their employers' residences used more alcohol and drugs than their counterparts. Harassed women had significantly higher self-esteem impairment and anxiety and depression than nonharassed women. Nonharassed women residing in their own homes had the best physical well-being. Concerning participants' worst sexually harassing experiences, the perpetrators were likely to be men (75%), who also engaged in more severe types of sexual harassment than female perpetrators. The emotional reactions to such incidents were significantly more negative when perpetrated by men than by women. Implications for foreign in-home workers employed by Europeans and North Americans are discussed.

Key Words: sexual harassment • sexual assault • mental health and violence

This version was published on August 1, 2009

Journal of Interpersonal Violence, Vol. 24, No. 8, 1264-1284 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/0886260508322189


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