Sexual Harassment Beliefs and Myth Acceptance Among Hispanic and Indigenous Farmworkers in California (USA) and Michoacán (Mexico)

Violence Against Women. 2023 Oct 9:10778012231203004. doi: 10.1177/10778012231203004. Online ahead of print.

Abstract

We explore workplace sexual harassment (WSH) myth acceptance, bystander discomfort, and beliefs among farmworkers in California, USA, and Michoacán, Mexico. Surveys were conducted with the guidance of community advisory boards among 197 farmworkers (38 men and 59 women in California; 40 men and 60 women in Michoacán). Men and women in Michoacán had similar discomfort and myth acceptance. California women reported more discomfort than men but were similar in myth acceptance. The highest levels of myth acceptance ranged from 66 to 88%. The majority (85-90%) believed that something must be done to prevent WSH in agriculture.

Keywords: agriculture; indigenous; latino; myth acceptance; sexual harassment; violence prevention.