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IZA Discussion Paper No. 18715
June 2026
Context and the Perception of Harm: Evidence from Online and In-Person Sexual Harassment
Alessandra Foresta, Valentina Tonei, Martina Vecchi

We provide causal evidence that the context in which harmful conduct occurs shapes how it is evaluated. We study this using a vignette-based survey experiment that holds behaviour constant while randomising whether an incident of sexual harassment occurs online or in person. Online settings generate a systematic discount in perceived seriousness (7% of the mean), with larger effects on willingness to report (13% of the mean) and preferred sanctions. The discount is concentrated in image-based harassment and larger among male respondents. In addition, it is not moderated by either direct or vicarious experience of harassment, suggesting that it may reflect normative perceptions of online harm as less serious rather than lack of exposure alone. These context-dependent distortions have implications for the enforcement of emerging legal protections, victim support, and the design of public communication around digital abuse.

Communications
Mark Fallak
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+352 585-855-526
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Olga Nottmeyer
olga.nottmeyer-ext@liser.lu
+352 585-855-501
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Christina Gathmann
christina.gathmann@liser.lu

The IZA@LISER Network is a global community of scholars dedicated to excellence in labor economics and related fields, now coordinated at the Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LISER) following its transition from Bonn.

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