Sexual harassment continues to occur at alarming rates in organizations, despite significant resources being invested to prevent it. Most of the research on sexual harassment has examined the impact on those who are the target but more recent calls in the literature have encouraged a focus on observers. We answer this call by first reviewing the literature on observers of sexual harassment and then develop a conceptual model to inform future research. We posit that observers can be an active participant in the reduction of sexual harassment and develop propositions that explore the factors that would enable this and the outcomes that may emerge from a more active observer role. We conclude with limitations of our current model and recommended areas of future research for those interested in advancing our understanding in this important area.
