Abstract
Background: Coping strategies of sexual harassment are determined by the person, environment, and cognitive reappraisal. Consequently, the issue of how women victims cope with the problem is still unsettled worldwide. Women were disproportionately victims of sexual harassment in the hospitality industries, and the issue of response is at an earlier phase in low and middle-income countries, and particularly in Ethiopia. Thus, this study was aimed to develop a context specific and data-driven coping strategy framework for sexual harassment victimization against women working in the hospitality workplaces.Methods: We conducted a qualitative, grounded theory approach to guide the study process. The data were collected from women, managers, cashiers, and customers. We use a semi-structured, specific audience, and focus group discussion guides. A constant comparative approach was used to summarize data and describe meanings. ATLAS. ti version 8.4.24 software package was used for data coding categorizing, and visualizing networks.Results: The analysis provided a context specific coping strategic framework, which consists of, closely interconnected, four dimensions practiced by women hospitality employees. The dimensions were normalization, engagement, help-seeking, and detachment with the respective barriers. The normalization dimension encompasses silence, acceptance, denial, refusal, grief, and tolerance. Likewise, the engagement dimension consists of confrontation, negotiation, retaliation/threatening, and discrimination of the perpetrators. The help-seeking dimension also involves elements such as discussing with friends, complaining to supervisors, consulting professionals, and accusing the perpetrators. Finally, the detachment dimension entails job-hopping, job withdrawal, work withdrawal, and distancing. A variety of barriers deterred all dimensions. However, normalization was facilitated by some factors, and adverse outcomes ended the engagement dimension of coping.Conclusion: The sexual harassment coping capacities of women employees have been unclear, which left no whole for the stakeholders to intervene. The new coping strategic framework can serve as a valuable guide to design context-specific interventions that make the women and the stakeholders prevent sexual harassment, decrease the barriers, and alleviate effects.
#MeToo, Sexual Harassment and Coping Strategies in Norwegian Newsrooms
