Unheard Voices: Understanding Male Victims of Campus Sexual Harassment in a Gender-Inclusive Study.

Abstract

This study investigates the characteristics of male victims of campus sexual harassment, revealing that there is little difference in the proportion of male and female victims. Both genders are subjected to sexual harassment by students, faculty members, and off-campus personnel, with the largest difference in frequency being 13.79% and the smallest 0.06%. Most forms of harassment show less than a 5.00% difference between male and female students. T-test results indicate that, except for harassment by faculty members, there is no significant difference in the frequency of harassment between genders (p > .05). Furthermore, male victims are more likely to be familiar with the perpetrators than female victims. Campus sexual harassment negatively impacts both genders, with male victims reporting higher negative effects in academic, social, and self-evaluation aspects. Male victims are less likely to take proactive measures or seek assistance when facing harassment. Regression model and Shapley value decomposition analyses reveal that gender significantly influences the frequency of harassment, particularly when the perpetrator is the faculty member. Overall, this study highlights the need for increased attention to male victims of campus sexual harassment and the importance of addressing gender differences in coping strategies.