Analysis of the prevalence and perception of sexual harassment between university students in Colombia

Abstract

This paper presents an analysis of the prevalence and perception of sexual harassment in women and men at two universities in Medellín, Colombia. The research was conducted by an interdisciplinary team of social psychologists and lawyers with a gender perspective. A mixed design was used and the following data-generating techniques were implemented: surveys, in-depth interviews, and reflection workshops. According to the results, women are the main victims of sexual harassment in university contexts and there are significant differences in the perception of sexual harassment between men and women. It is suggested that this difference is related to the roles of seduction played by men and women, their discrepancies around the interpretation of sexual consent, and the fact that women are mainly harassed by authority figures such as professors and that they experience higher levels of negative affect as a consequence of unwanted sexual advances. In conclusion, sexual harassment becomes part of the university habitus, due to the daily occurrence and the diverse perceptions of the community, which, when trivialized, promote the violation of women’s fundamental freedoms, preventing them from enjoying decent conditions to exercise their self-determination in the educational context, and the right to complete their higher education in an appropriate manner.