Younger Employees’ Sexual Harassment Experiences on Facebook’s Public Feed Versus Direct Messages: How the Online Setting Impacts Uncertainty and Coping

Using the theoretical constructs of uncertainty and coping as guiding frameworks, this study examines how the online setting (e.g., private direct message or public comment) and type of harassment (i.e., gender harassment, unwanted sexual attention, or sexual coercion) affect younger employees’ sexual harassment experiences on Facebook. Specifically, this study examines how the online setting and type of harassment affect a survivor’s level of relational uncertainty and individual problem-focused coping strategies. Results show private unwanted sexual attention predicts a survivor’s level of uncertainty. In addition, results show survivors are more likely to cope by blocking the harasser when they experience public harassment and private sexual coercion. Also, survivors are more likely to cope by changing their privacy settings and being more cautious with their use of Facebook when they experience gender harassment in a private setting. Ultimately, the study findings extend literature on online sexual harassment, coping, and uncertainty by showing how both the online setting and type of online sexual harassment impact and complicate a survivor’s level of uncertainty and coping strategies.