Proceedings of the Global Conference on Gender Studies
Year: 2024
DOI:
[PDF]
Gender Differences in Perceptions of Sexual Harassment of Women Among Students at The Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Split
Prof. Dr. Marija Loncar, Lucija Tudić
ABSTRACT:
Sexual harassment is defined as a form of gender-based violence that includes unwanted physical, verbal, or non-verbal actions of a sexual nature. These actions aim to or result in the violation of the victim’s dignity, creating a hostile environment and feelings of fear, humiliation, or offense. It can occur in various settings, making it a pervasive issue that affects individuals in both professional and personal aspects of life, regardless of location or social context. Forms of harassment include physical contact, verbal remarks, inappropriate comments, the display of pornographic materials, and unwanted sexual attention. According to the authors, most affected are women, especially younger, unmarried, with a lower level of education, as well as women in certain personal or professional circumstances. The aim of the study was to examine students’ perceptions of the severity of various forms of sexual harassment (verbal, physical, non-verbal), the presence of sexual harassment in different environments (workplace, educational institutions, public places, internet), the factors that contribute to the risk of sexual harassment, as well as the personal experiences of students with different forms of sexual harassment. Respondents completed an online questionnaire distributed via social media in 2024., and the sample included students at undergraduate, graduated, and integrated levels of study programs at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Split (N = 114). The results of the research show gender differences in perceptions of verbal and non-verbal forms of sexual harassment, with young women perceiving both forms more seriously compared to young men. Differences were also observed regarding the prevalence of sexual harassment in the workplace and public spaces, with young women perceiving workplaces, streets, and transportation, as well as nightclubs, as environments in which it occurs the most. Students generally consider gender and alcohol consumption to be factors that increase the risk of sexual harassment. Their experiences also differ in that young women are the ones who have experienced verbal forms of sexual harassment more compared to men.
keywords: students’ perceptions, sexual harassment, environments, factors, gender differences