could also be explained by the general assumption that sexual harassment is most likely to take place in those fields characterized by a male-dominated organizational culture. As such, a gender power analysis still seems to be the dominant theoretical perspective underlying the explanation of sexual harassment today. Yet, at the same time, a tendency toward gender neutralization can be observed in a number of recent studies on harassment in male-dominated workplaces. During the s consensus grew that sexual harassment would no longer be considered a problem concerning female workers exclusively. In many European countries an awareness arose that men could also be victims of sexual harassment. A similar shift in the victim-perpetrator model took place with respect to sexual violence: it became acceptable to recognize that boys as well as girls could be victims of child sexual abuse. Furthermore, other problems related to the workplace—e.g., violence at work, mobbing, aggression, and intimidation—drew the attention of researchers, politicians, and the general public, causing sexual harassment to become just one of a number of issues concerning violence at work. The same development can be traced in the field of education. Whereas the first studies exclusively focused on sexual harassment in schools, the problem is now being studied as part of the more general problem of school violence. This broadening of the problem has made the topic politically more acceptable. Harassment, even sexual harassment, is no longer perceived as an issue put forth only by a few orthodox feminists. Now any employee can become the victim of mobbing, intimidation, or harassment. This tendency to neutralize the gender-specific character of harassment, including sexual harassment, is also reflected in many national and local initiatives directed at preventing and combating sexual harassment in the workplace. Educational and labor organizations increasingly develop policies aimed at tackling the problem of violence in general. Sexual harassment is considered one of several manifestations of violence and aggression that people are confronted with in the workplace. This development is also apparent in recent research 172
DOMINANCE, HARASSMENT, AND WOMEN