"There Is Always an Excuse to Blame the Girl": Perspectives on Sexual Harassment at a Jordanian University. (November 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Bergenfeld, Irina; Clark, Cari Jo; Sandhu, Seema; Yount, Kathryn M.; Essaid, Aida A.; Sajdi, Jude; Abu Taleb, Rand; Robbin, Zoe; Batayeh, Brian; Zwooqar, Ahad; Spencer, Rachael A.
• Is Part Of: Violence against women. Volume 28:Number 14(2022)
• Page Start: 3457
• Page End: 3481
• Publication Date: 2022-11
• Subjects: sexual harassment -- Middle East and North Africa -- university -- social-ecological model; Abused women -- Periodicals; Women -- Crimes against -- Periodicals; Violent crimes -- Periodicals; Femmes victimes de violence -- Périodiques; Femmes, Crimes contre les -- Périodiques; Crimes violents -- Périodiques; 362.8292
• DOI: 10.1177/10778012221079373
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1077-8012

Abstract

Sexual harassment (SH), defined as unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature, presents a global public health issue and a barrier to empowerment for women and girls. To understand the perceived causes of SH in the Jordanian university context, we conducted focus groups ( n = 6) and participatory data collection with students ( n = 317) and interviews with staff and administrators ( n = 5) at a public university. These data identified norms governing men's and women's behavior, institutional climate and policies, tribal conservatism and protection of perpetrators, and early socialization as underlying SH. Campus-based interventions should adopt approaches aimed at multiple levels of the social ecology.