The last few years have seen an increasing awareness of sexual harassment as an important social problem with serious implications for individuals and organizations alike, leading to increased attempts to understand how victims respond to this stressful and sometimes traumatic experience. The present article reviews the behavioral science research on responses to sexual harassment, including their links to outcomes and consequences. We then present an alternative to the frequently invoked assertiveness paradigm, derived from the cognitive‐behavioral stress and coping framework. We examine our paradigm in the context of legal proceedings that, in effect, hold the victim responsible for responding appropriately; explore the more general implications of placing the burden of noncom‐sent on the victim; and conclude with a discussion of this research for an emerging legal theory of sexual harassment.

Studied the influence of natural mentors (i.e., supportive nonparent/nonpeer support figures) on the psychological adjustment of 129 young, African American mothers. Women with mentors reported lower levels of depression than those without mentors. In addition, both the amount of network support (excluding mentor support) utilized by women with mentors and their satisfaction with this support were negatively related to depression; those who utilized more support and were more satisfied with this support were less depressed. Problems with network members did not predict depression in this group. For women without mentors, both the amount of network support and satisfaction with this support were unrelated to depression. Moreover, those who reported greater problems in relationships from which they received intangible support, reported higher levels of depression. Mentors may help young mothers to make better use of their networks and serve as a buffer against the negative effects of relationship problems.

Different reasons compel battered women to seek court orders of protection. Battered women decide to invoke the legal system by determining that they have had “enough.” At this point women must often confront significant barriers to obtaining court orders, most of which involve symbolic and tangible fears. A number of motivations, however, seem to counteract these fears. In addition, women may experience psychological benefits from orders by gaining some measure of control in their lives. A greater understanding of the factors involved in such decision making may assist legal authorities who deal with battered women.

Older adults' life satisfaction can be better understood in light of their personal goals. This study of 179 elders examined (a) how goals correlate with satisfaction, (b) whether elders maintain satisfaction by accommodating goals to past losses, and (c) how correlations between satisfaction and key predictors differ among groups with different goals. Satisfaction was related positively to social maintenance and energetic life-style goals and negatively to concerns for improvement, disengagement, stability, and reduced activity. Past losses were correlated with current goals but not with satisfaction, consistent with the notion of accommodation. A cluster analysis identified 5 patterns of goals: high demand, age prescribed, self-focused, socially engaged, and low demand. Correlations between satisfaction and other predictors differed by cluster, suggesting that the determinants of elders' satisfaction depend on personal goals.

This study identifies dimensions of individual difference in the content of older adults' personal goals and examines demographic, loss-related, and contextual influences on these goals. Results are based on the responses of 179 elders to a 112-item inventory designed to tap achievement, maintenance, disengagement, and coping goals in 16 life domains. Factor analyses yielded 10 dimensions that describe themes of global motivation, concerns about support and desired pace, and complexity of life. Demographic disadvantages and age-related transitions were related to greater desire for disengagement, support, and stability. Elders who were married and healthy were more likely to report a desire for an energetic life-style. Results are discussed in terms of implications for future research on elders' goals as a context for understanding the meaning of self-evaluation and environmental influences on aging.