Online Sexual Harassment Scale (OSHS) contains a total of 16 items - 12 items measuring the extent of online sexual harassment an individual has experience and 4 items measuring the emotional impact of such experiences.
Geographies Tested: United Kingdom
Populations Included: Female, Male
Age Range: Adults
Please read the below questions carefully, In the past 12 months have you had any of the following unwanted experiences while you were using the Internet or a mobile device….
1. Have you been sent an unwanted message propositioning you for sex?
2. Have you received an unwanted explicit sexual message or text?
3. Received an unwanted message with a sexual comment? (e.g "you make me aroused", "are you horny?")
4. Posted a picture on social media and then had someone leave a sexual comment about your body.
5. You were sent an offensive sexist message.
6. Felt pressure to share a naked picture of yourself with someone.
7. Been sent an unwanted sext from someone?
8. Had someone send you an unwanted explicit photo of an intimate part of their body (e.g. penis, breasts etc)
9. Someone sent you a message with a negative comment about your gender or sexual orientation. (e.g "get back to the kitchen", "you are so gay")
10. Had someone leave a public sexist comment about your general appearance on social media? (e.g “you look so pretty”, “you have such a hot body”)
11. Been asked for any sexual favors?
12. Received a private message from someone commenting on the way you look which made you feel uncomfortable?
Response Options:
Never - 0
Once or twice - 1
A few times - 2
Often - 3
All the time - 4
Emotional Impact Questions
Please read the following statements carefully and then using the scale below rate how upset would you be if any of the following happened to you...
1. You upload a new profile picture on a social media account, and someone makes a sexual comment on your picture.
2. A former boyfriend or girlfriend threatened to share a private intimate image of you online.
3. You are on a dating application or website (such as Tinder or Match.com), and someone sends you a naked picture of themselves.
4. A friend sends you a message with a link to a pornographic video.
Response Options:
Not at all - 0
A little - 1
Somewhat - 2
Very - 3
Extremely -4
The mean score is calculated for the total scale as well as for each subscale: gender harassment, unwanted sexual attention and emotional impact.
Buchanan, N., & Mahoney, A. (2021). Development of a scale measuring online sexual harassment: Examining gender differences and the emotional impact of sexual harassment victimization online. Legal and Criminological Psychology, 27(1), 63-81. https://doi.org/10.1111/lcrp.12197
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