The present study was an attempt to investigate whether passive, non-intervening bystander presence in a victimization situation containing sexual harassment at the workplace worsens a victim’s...Show moreThe present study was an attempt to investigate whether passive, non-intervening bystander presence in a victimization situation containing sexual harassment at the workplace worsens a victim’s mental health compared to actively intervening or no bystanders. By using a vignette study, 159 female participants completed a survey and were allocated to one of three conditions (passive bystanders, active bystanders, and no bystanders). Afterwards, all participants indicated their agreement to statements representing the four fundamental needs of belonging, self-esteem, meaningful existence, and control, self-, perpetrator, and bystander blame, work stress, and acceptance of sexual harassment myths. The results indicate that all four fundamental needs decreased, and bystander blame increased in victims experiencing the situation with passive compared to active or no bystanders. The study reveals important theoretical insights in bystander research combined with sexual harassment at the workplace and offers practical implications to avoid the negative impact of passive bystander presence during victimization in organisations.Show less
