The effects of sexual harassment, assault, and objectification on the self

ABSTRACT

Sexual objectification is an umbrella term for a diverse range of experiences that make someone feel as if they are merely a body that exists for the use and pleasure of others. This special issue presents nine empirical papers examining the connections between sexual objectification and self-relevant variables (e.g., self-concept; self-esteem). These papers provide innovative theoretical and methodological approaches to studying the antecedents and outcomes of sexual objectification. We encourage psychological scientists to build off the research in this special issue, expanding it into cross-cultural and policy contexts, thus providing potential solutions in the journey toward increased inclusion and social justice.

KEYWORDS:

• Sexual harassment
• sexual assault
• sexual objectification
• self-concept
• self-esteem

Acknowledgement

We thank Dr. Shira Gabriel, who was the presiding editor that provided us the opportunity and guidance to create this special issue. We thank both Dr. Gabriel and Dr. June Tangney for their support during the editorial process.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.