Abstract

The article is designed to understand the current situation of multiple types of harassment, perceptions, and experiences of students at the university level. This research aims to analyze the consciousness level of students regarding sexual harassment protection bills and policies and to grasp the spectrum of coping strategies that students use to combat harassment by their mentors. Furthermore, supporting factors that worsen the situation of harassment and the aftermaths of this behaviour are also studied. Under the study, qualitative research methods i.e., focus groups and in-depth interviews, are applied. Using an interview guide, thirty interviews were conducted while keeping the privacy of respondents in mind. This research reflected that there are many grey areas where we need to pay attention, especially in educating students to combat harassment. Giving education and training is not utterly satisfying. Modern times require bold attitudes and actions against sexual harassment on university premises.

Key Words

Academia, Harassment, Physical Harassment, Student-teacher Relationship, Verbal Harassment

Introduction

Sexual harassment has been a complex worldwide dilemma throughout the world in the workplace, universities, schools, and other educational institutes. Understanding harassment, the reasons why it happens, and what can be done to stop it is a terrific challenge  (Fitzgerald, Swan, & Magley, 1997). The prevalence of sexual harassment is widely documented but it has been difficult for researchers to explain harassment because of its varied forms. The conceptions about harassment vary from one culture to another and it is perceived contrarily depending on the context, gender, status, and age  (Gutek, How subjective is sexual harassment? An examination of rater effects, 1995)  (Win, 1994)  (Frazier, Cochran, & Olson, 1995). Sexual harassment is an act that includes the whole category of negativities and meanings related to something irritating, hated, provocative, disgusting, and abhorred. It is based on the reactions of people to this phenomenon  (Zindi, 1994);  (Lengnick-Hall, 1995). It is a sequestered organizational, delicate, and challenging issue to handle  (Claire, 1993). It is complex to study in its actual framework. Harassment is an illegal action that occurs in multiple circumstances including spoken harassment (example; violent remarks), non-verbal or gestural (leering with evocative overtone), psychological (unwanted social invitations), visual (showing pornographic material) and physical (unwanted touching)  (Alagappar, Li Lean, David, Ishak, & Ngeow, 2011); (Ismail, Chee, & Bee, 2007). Most of the time, sexual harassment happens when the harasser influences the victim by being different in position, age group, educational, political, social, and employment relationship  (Farahat, Abdel-Rasoul, Kasemy, & Mohammed, 2017). This term was first recognized in the workplace environment when it was disproportionally experienced by women. About 60 to 70% of women reported unwanted experiences of harassment to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)  (Shaw, Hegewisch, & Hess, 2018)  (Feldblum & Lipnic, 2016). Similar patterns have been seen flourishing in universities and college campuses. Most of the female students' experienced unwanted touching and bodily contact (e.g., sexual assault, groping, molestation, or abusive actions) while staying on campuses by their offenders  (Cantalupo & Kidder, 2018). 

The aggressive harassment of female students in universities has been a pathetic fact in their whole educational journey. According to a study, four diverse kinds of harassers have been defined: The first one is a predatory harasser who gets sexual delights while humiliating others and people who do not respond are more likely to become their targets  (Barnet & Burriss, 2001). The second type of harasser is the dominant harasser who is going to boost and engage in harassing behaviour  (Langeln, 1993). Strategic harassers are those who seek to maintain splendour in their jobs and positions. While the most common type of harasser is the Street harasser, who is involved in verbal and non-verbal harassment  (Bowman, 1993). Parallel to the inquiry concerning the prevailing issue of sexual annoyance, it is getting attention worldwide to widely different non-governmental organizations and most organizations are struggling to search for ways to stop it. Many of them found remedies in developing policies, training programs with sexual harassment laws and grievance procedures (Abe, 2012; Gutek, 1997). Women refuse to report such cases when they are being harassed by their supervisors and faculty members because of fear or any threat. Women in educational institutes are more likely to face inappropriate comments of sexual nature by their supervisors and teachers  (Bohannan, 2013). 

Any type of sexual annoyance is a dilemma that has considerable influence on a woman's dignity and emotional health  (Gurung, Priyadarshini, & Margaret, 2016). Besides, a lot of cultural factors are considered responsible for exposure to harassment, like wearing tight clothes and using excessive makeup and perfumes  (Farahat, Abdel-Rasoul, Kasemy, & Mohammed, 2017). Another major factor behind harassment is considered woman itself in the patriarchal cultures that has led women to be perceived as "asking for it" or "loose ."In patriarchal cultures, women's bodies are sexualized and objectified. Instead of controlling such issues, women are told to modify their movements (Bond, 2017; Keplinger, Johnson, Kirk, & Barnes, 2019). Eventually, females tend not to report cases or their experiences because of some cultural, religious, or emotional factors. Besides, according to Keplinger, Johnson, Kirk, & Barnes (2019), there is another theme that non-reporting behaviour prevails in any society when the victim does not get any support. For example, Keplinger et al. (2019) indicate a factor that during the #MeToo movement times, many female victims felt comfortable while sharing their experiences of harassment because they found support. This study aims to explore those factors which make them shy not to talk about their harasser. Over time, such cases happened all over the world and universities tried to maintain order and develop strategies for the protection of their female students. Therefore, universities' student affairs department proposed some suggestions for others to provide a reliable environment  (Farahat, Abdel-Rasoul, Kasemy, & Mohammed, 2017). Moreover, Sexual assault and harassment can be controlled with the introduction of some planned educational programs in schools, colleges, and universities (Smothers & Smothers, 2011; Vladutiu, Martin, & Macy, 2011; Yeater & O’Donohue, 1999). The European Union (EU) and the Council of Europe (COE) has built numerous directives as well as policies to address harassment issue, translated into “Legally binded law” in multiple countries and those member countries are liable to implement those directives and policies. Since 1995, in Asia, Australia, Japan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, and Hong Kong, policies and laws against sexual harassment have been established  (Sang, Kamboi, & Omenge, 2016). 

This research inspects the issue of the pervasiveness of multiple types of harassment in a public sector university in Islamabad's capital territory. One significant vein of this study is to interrogate the cultural gaps regarding harassment among university students. Because it is mainly said that now the time had passed when women were innocent, now they have enough knowledge to understand harassment. In every harassment case, a female knows that the next person does not have positive vibes for her, but she uses that attitude for her benefit. It is designed to probe such situations if traditional concepts of harassment have changed over time.

Literature Review

Harassment in educational institutes usually occurs among teachers, students, and peers. It often infuses a harasser, who holds power to threaten and harass the victim, especially in teacher-student relationships. Male teachers take female students as a perk and tend to involve them in a sexual relationship in the guise of any project. Because they know in every class, there will be a charming girl who will ask for their help and will be prey for sexual favors  (Reisz, 2009). 

According to statistics, in China, 24% sexual harassment prevalence has been reported  (Tang, Yik, Cheung, Choi, & Au , 1996), while the American Association of University Women registered a 62% prevalence of harassment in the USA universities  (Hill & Silva, 2006) and verbal harassment was the most common prominent one (Mamaru, Getachew, & Mohammed, 2015; Hill & Silva, 2006; Bauer & Green, 1996; Benson & Gregg, 1982; Runtz & O'Donnell, 2003).

Educational institutes and their premises are supposed to be safe places for students. But according to USAID report from all around the world including Latin America, South Asia and Africa: enough ratios of girls report their experiences on the premises of academic institutes, including dormitories, classrooms and cafeterias by their teachers. For instance, in a study in Malawi, girls report different types of harassment, including unwanted touch, sexual comments and jokes, rape and sex (Columbia, Kadzamira, & Moleni, 2007; Patel, Andrews, Pierre, & Kamat, 2001; Dalia & Marawan, 2013).

Patel, Andrews, Pierre, & Kamat (2001) reported a study that girls in educational institutes are more likely to report molestation and frottage and forced intercourse. The major findings of the study were that sexual abuse and sexual violence are very common in academe. Similarly, it is seen that Quid Pro quo or Sex-for-grades is the most common type of harassment in educational institutes  (Manuh, Gariba, & Budu, 2007).

Due to the frequency of harassment, when reasons behind harassment were collected, the data showed: that in Egypt, harassment shows frustration and sexual repression because of delaying marriage (Slackman, 2008; Ilahi, 2008). Most of the reasons behind harassment are related to feeling and showing more masculine, followed by satisfying their sexual needs and desires and to increase their self-confidence  (Bond, 2017). According to multiple studies in Egypt, these attributes of harassment vary depending on the age of the harasser as young harassers want to feel their manhood  (Dalia & Marawan, 2013), while mature males commit harassment to show their masculinity and fulfill their sexual needs  (Hassan, Shoukry, & AbulKomson, 2010). Moreover, many studies claimed women's dressing induces harassment. Similar results were seen in ECWR'S, where women were blamed for their inappropriate appearance by males  (Hassan, Shoukry, & AbulKomson, 2010).

Sexual harassment is a continuum that is prevailing globally throughout the higher education system with its profound impacts on individuals. Regarding this epidemic, a major portion of the countries lacks proper rules and regulations against SH in higher education institutes  (Tavares & Wodon, 2018). Despite the pervasiveness of harassment in the academe, the reporting rates are generally low. According to a survey, only 5% of victims report cases of harassment, while reasons behind such attitudes are: shame, risk of retaliation, inadequate support system, and embarrassment of being blamed, humiliated and mistreated  (Garcia-Moreno, Guedes, & Knerr, 2012). Furthermore, it is seen that attention is not paid to such issues. It is generally taken for granted and considered normal in educational institutes. Very few institutions show their concern regarding this issue. Particularly students are left alone to tackle such issues on an individual basis (Abe, 2012). 

Research Methodology

As per the nature of the study, qualitative research methods have been used to get a deep insight into the issue. The study involved 30 university students (BS & MPhil) drawn from different departments. Purposive sampling was used and only those students were interviewed who had direct or indirect experience of harassment. In this study, the researcher conducted in-depth interviews of semi-structured nature including focus group discussions. Open-ended queries were also included to get a detailed picture of the study. Besides this, the researcher also used a telephonic interview technique as COVID-19 was in the air and universities were closed. On the other hand, the researcher used silent probing, Baiting, Tell-me-more and The Uh-Huh probing techniques to urge the respondents to provide a detailed picture.

 

Research Findings

This article highlights conceptions of university students about the prevailing situations of harassment on the university premises. The researcher tried to grab the level of knowledge of students about the nature of harassment and to understand their direct or indirect experiences of sexual harassment. Before this study, it was a hypothesis that the prevalence of sexual harassment on university campuses shows that students are unaware of the meaning of harassment or they do not have enough knowledge. Apart from this, there are some other views that nowadays, there is not any concept of sexual harassment. Students are mature enough that they can differentiate between misconduct and sexual behaviours. They can handle the situation if something happens to them. This study will examine overt the reality of phenomena. Following are the findings of the research:




 

 

Table 1.

Themes	Findings
	A	B	C
Forms of Harassment	Verbal (Unnecessary Praising, Bullying, Vulgar Talks)	Physical (Molestation, Frottage, Fondling)	Emotional (Frightening)
Causes	A sick mental condition, Disturbed married life (Of the harasser)	Orientalism	Sharp body features, bold personality, soft behavior (Of the victim)
Consequences	Negative (Anxiety, stress, sleep changes, nightmares, suicide attempts (by cutting veins),	Positive (Confidence)
Coping Strategies	Not clear
Reasons not to report	Fears,	Interests, Fear of transaction failure, benefits of having sugar daddies	Get adapted

Discussion

The following study is divided into five sections such as forms of harassment, supporting factors of harassment, consequences, coping strategies of students and reasons why they do not report harassment cases? 

Before we go down for an explanation, it is important to measure the knowledge level of respondents about the meaning of harassment as well as the causes of harassment. Because everybody is born different with different mental levels, cognition and interpretive abilities and physical appearance. 




Forms of Harassment

Verbal Harassment

Verbal harassment is the most frequent kind that is more usual, and the victims face this kind of harassment more likely in their daily lives. Verbal harassment includes every type of offensive thing like a catcall, bantering, casting jokes passing offensive comments, etc. In this study, the researcher collected a lot of experiences of respondents which they have gone through till now.  




Unnecessary Praising

Unnecessary praising is the most frequent one. The perpetrators unnecessarily praise the victim's body, facial features, body language, dress, and without keeping in mind that the other person is getting annoyed by their praise and compliments. The common phrases of perpetrators are following: 

(Your dressing is splendid and your lipstick colour kills, why the hell do you look so hot, darling?)

“You will get good marks but in response (You too have to do something in response."

“What is problematic here is married, married girls should not be scared as they have everything opened). He meant that you do not need to worry about your virginity as you have already been in a sexual relationship."

"He was directly looking at my bosoms, (You look damn hot today."

“Have not anybody told you that how much red colour suits you, whenever you come into my office do wear a red scarf every time" 

“Waaoo! Your height is very prominent don’t you have any bf, your bf must enjoy you, make me your bf because of your height your bf could feel relaxed)”. 

“You’re looking so beautiful today to whom you are going to kill with your beauty, why do you come to kill me daily?”

“People just do not know your value; how would they know only jeweller can tell the value of a diamond”

According to the respondents’ responses, the perpetrator tries to get you entangled in his net that is knitted with praise and complimentary sentences and they always stay in search of those victims who cannot resist their violent attitude so that their status remains the same gentle and nice person among others, so they must keep things covert. 

Bullying

Bullying or Passing offensive comments or jokes is a type of verbal harassment and it is very common that females face in the market, in public places and even in their educational institutes too. During data collection, the researcher collected a lot of stories with the same experience of verbal harassment. One of them is:

According to respondent I, aged 26, 

My teacher used to praise me when I didn’t respond he started bullying me. He used to ask me to come and sit with me talk to me, (How the way you study? I am not sure if you are going to pass this time, you just come and sit with me daily) when I didn't respond he said, "Kia yr tum to zanana ni ho mardana ho Chalo kisi khoobsorat lrki ka number do or friendship krwa do” (What the hell you are not a girl, you are a man, give me the number of any beautiful girl and help me in friendship with her)”.  




Vulgar Talk

Bold and confident attitude is considered avoidable if people do not like that. Similar responses have been heard during fieldwork when a few respondents replied that to discuss any topic bluntly that is not appreciated in your culture, is a kind of harassment. 

Respondent I, aged 26, replied that: 

Another face of verbal harassment is in the guise of sensitive topics like marital rape, breastfeeding etc., your supervisor intentionally wants you to choose any topic of his choice. (Your supervisor intentionally makes you choose such a blunt topic so that he could discuss things openly about marital rape, sexual terminology. But the way supervisors discuss things seems quite lustful. 

She further added:

He used to talk double meaning in front of me like about someone's wedding night and says: what do you think we shouldn't disturb someone on their wedding night, I used to change the topic, but He was so stubborn that whenever I tried to change topic he restarted, just to enjoy the sexual talk in the guise of thesis discussion”

Another respondent S, aged 27, shared a story of vulgar talks that was a kind of verbal harassment near her, she told that:

They talk so vulgarly in the guise of being bold and open to every topic but it still matters, no matter how much we are liberal now, he used to talk sexual talks but in hidden words, he said: (Whether a female is 7 or 20 years she understands the gaze and attitude of man, why you do not understand from my talk what I want from you? talk to me in the night I will manage your phone balance)”.  

Other responses are:

Just for once meet me, I won’t go down there I will stay on your upper body, you will stay virgin, I will not fuck you”.

He used to ask me about masturbation, like do you enjoy masturbation, you know it's a healthy practice, he told me the benefits of masturbation. He said I want you to be my friend, He used to ask like don't you feel wet inside your vagina while talking to me? Why don't you have a bf to make you wet? You should have a friend like me. Give me a chance let me make it juicy”

As per data, not a single student did appreciate such talking terms. They took it as verbal harassment because they were their mentors, not close ones. According to the respondents, they think discussing someone's personal sexual life or sexual terminologies is a normal thing, but this is not part of our culture. We are not socialized this way. So, if it is against your will, it is harassment even in the European culture.




Physical Harassment

As the name speaks, physical harassment is something irritating when somebody touches your body without your permission that could include caressing, molestation, sexual assault, frottage, fondling, and any persistent touch. Following are some common responses: 




Frottage

Smashing, rubbing, brushing, grinding, and thrusting your genitals against someone without their wish for sexual gratification is also a form of physical harassment. One respondent A, aged 26, shared her experience of physical harassment:

He used to ask me to sit on him, (Come and Sit in my lap), I could feel his erect penis moving down my thighs, I could feel he is getting horny; I was trying to get up and he was pushing me aggressively on his dick, now he is no more in our department, and I cursed myself why I could not resist why I was shut? was I enjoying that too, or I was just emotionless" 

Mostly it is argued that physical harassment is only happening in childhood. After that, you get mature enough to differentiate between good or bad touch. So, If in your maturity something happens, people do not believe everybody says that you must have a chance to save yourself if you did not that means you were involved.

Fondling

Respondent S, aged 28 told, it was her indirect experience. She saw someone doing this, but that girl was also enjoying herself. 

“I saw the supervisor was touching H’s Buttocks and even he was pinching and acting like he is spanking while showing computer for thesis mistakes, whispering in ears, sniffing neck and ears, passing smiles that girl was too passing smile. When did we ask why you did not just slap on his face? she said: "Leave it yarr, (I just need Degree)”.




Kissing

While collecting fieldwork data, the researcher also collected the experiences of respondents when their harasser tries to kiss them. For example

Respondent U, aged 25, told that:

That teacher used to ask for a kiss a wild kiss and he did that too many times he was so wild in kissing, (I want to kiss you for 10 minutes, My day is worse till I see you, you just sit in front of me in my office, O sexy beautiful girl I have to wait for your beautiful look if your beauty is not for me then it’s useless)”

During fieldwork, it was noticed that over time cases of physical harassment has declined. Nobody reported any severe molestation cases. But it's not over yet, fondling, frottage and caressing are still on board. And in many cases, students for their personal benefits, let that happen. 




Emotional Harassment 

Emotional harassment defines as efforts to manipulate or control a person through several emotional tactics. This includes persistent efforts to attack someone's mind to make them scared. The most common response was frightening, which led to emotional disturbance. For example, a student told that:

He said: 

“You are in the age when you need to have a physical relation, we should live together. I have an apartment you can stay there, and you will have keys. Furthermore, he said that you could drink (Alcohol) there and live as you want to live and if you are unconscious because of drugs, I would love to put you on the bed and if you are not going to have physical relation with me then you will face the consequences, you are going to fail the subject besides I will tell your Kartoot (bad actions) to your parents. I will tell them; with boys you roam around all day”

According to respondents, there are few people who are not emotionally strong. They get frightened so easily and this weak point is used to harass them. 




Causes of harassment 

As it is believed that harassment does not occur without any reason, there must be something that seduced or attracted males towards a target, and they harassed a person. In many cultures, most of the time, people blame a female because of her dress, appearance, personality, body language and prominent makeup or accessories as the basic reason to attract a male. But a fair side of the study shows that as it takes two to make a quarrel, similarly, causes of harassment also include the perpetrators. 




Sick Mental Conditions

Many of the students responded that there was nothing wrong with a girl's appearance. It's just their (Harassers) cheap mentality that induces them to harass their victims: 

The most usual responses are the following:

Males have an element of lust in them, they must satisfy their needs, they have a fire in them that's not going to get low, therefore, they try to find different flavours to keep those flames low”

(They are so mentally sick that for their sexual lust they rape small girls who do not have bodies like a mature female that could attract them). 




Disturbed Married Life

There were a few students who replied that any person's disturbed married life could play a role in making them desperate. Respondents shared their thoughts this way:

They (Harassers) say: What’s the point to spend your whole life with one woman when you can have more”

I believe their wives could not satisfy their needs that’s why they find new girls to get that orgasm that cannot be achieved with their wives. Because I once heard from my perpetrator that “my wife creates drama whenever I ask for having sex with her, she starts crying” 

As sex is a biological need and when someone cannot fulfill their needs at home, of course, they will try to figure out ways to fulfill their needs. Thus, for respondents, the disturbed married life of a person could initiate harassing behaviour. 




The Sharp Body Features

It is usually argued that everybody will come to you

if you show them your sharp curves. According to many respondents, there is a fact in this myth. Girls try to enhance their beauty by making their bodies mesmerizing. In addition to this, they believe that media culture is making people's minds crazy. Every girl wants to look like a model and wants to get a sleek body. So is the case with boys, due to the media they act as heroes and appreciate sharp body features and when they see a beautiful girl, they try to grab her. As respondents replied:

Your ass, breasts, eyes, lips, sharp curves, could be the reason to attract person, I remember an example that my grandmother used to tell us that if there are all black sheep and one of them is white the white one will attract everybody as being unique and prominent. So, if every girl is wearing baggy clothes in which nothing is prominent and one of them is having a sexy hot body, of course, that will attract men. 




Superior Personality

It is a famous proverb that "Beauty gets attraction, and a superior personality gets the heart." Likewise, a prominent and bold personality that is rare and one in hundreds could attract any person, but this is not about harassment. Many of the respondents replied that their attractive personality was the reason that their harassers talked so much about or they harassed. 




Hostel Residence

As we know, university is a place where people come from multiple far areas of the country and even foreign students also come to study, and they do not have a home near the university. Thus, they stay in a hostel away from their homes and nobody comes to visit them. Hence, many students found that hostel life could be a reason for the harasser to target a girl as she does not have family around. But there are contradictions regarding this point. A few respondents replied that your hostel residence does not matter if you are providing yourself to them. Then it does not matter at all. They can make your stay long till the last bus of the university in the guise of work and project.




Behaviour

Before you know anybody, your first interaction with anybody could tell us about that person. This is how behaviour, conduct, attitude, and way of interacting with others tell the story of your personality. The majority of the respondent replied the same when it was about behaviour, that it is the basic reason that could give a soft corner to a person. Either you like it or not but because of your reckless behaviour, shy and soft nature, or bold behaviour you can be a victim. There were students who completely denied the existence of harassment. For them, girls give them courage when they know someone is showing offensive conduct. On the spot, girls should react bravely. 




Orientalism

Over time, we have entered an era where we pretend to be modern and liberal, following the terms and culture of the western world. But we do not know, we are not like them we have another unique culture where things cannot be acceptable at all. Besides, most of the students argued that social sciences subject is the reason why harassment cases can be mostly reported. As social scientists, in the guise of discussion on the culture and society, discuss a lot of open topics that indirectly make those students open in a sexual and intimate discussion. Therefore, their teachers treat them that way and try to do such stupid things with their students.

The researcher got multiple replies that count the harasser and both the victim are causes of harassment in different ways. Victims because of their personality characteristics and behaviour and the harasser: because of their disturbing emotional and mental history. But most of the students blamed a girl's behavior for giving courage to the harasser. Likewise, many girls claim that there is no harassment when you are mature; that could be your interest. Harassment is the one that happens in your childhood when you are unaware of such things. A third main reason for harassment near respondents is media and western culture. 




Aftermaths of Harassment

The first main finding was: Nowadays, harassment happens in rare cases. Every time you can control things if you want but we cannot deny that a powerful person can manipulate you. Still, harassment, whatever kind of harassing behaviour it is, could leave drastic impacts on victims' personalities. However, impacts could be positive, negative, or null, like making you confident or brave or any happenings could make you anxious and depressed for the rest of your life. 




Negative Impacts 

Negative impacts on the mental or physical health are anxiety, stress, disturbance, sleep changes, nightmares, suicide attempts (Cutting veins), depression, long-lasting fear of humiliation, or anything that makes you terrified. 

Positive Impacts

Though the dreadful consequences of harassment cannot be denied, there were a few respondents who moulded their personalities after such an incident. They started to develop their personality bravely and make themselves daring to face such accidents with confidence and a bold attitude.




Why no Reporting? Reasons

This part of the study will explain the reasons respondents why did not inform or report to anybody? Thus, in this study, multiple reasons are also counted including fear of being embarrassed, fear of being exposed in front of society and sometimes some people or friends make them stay silent. Ultimately no one participates in uncovering the face of the harassers. Following are some reasons, as per victims’ experiences:

Fears

Fear is the element that stops you from growing and making progress anymore. For instance, most of the respondents replied:

Family respect, self-respect, fear of being exposed, fear of being embarrassed in front of others are the common factors that stopped us. people say, "Khud b to Kuch kia hi hoga uske sath taali konsa aik hath se bajti ha (People say wrong things about you too they blame you that it's not a one-sided game we are also involved in this)."

Harassment also includes power practices; it always surrounds power. We are being harassed by the person who has the power to manipulate us. For example, if an Office Worker blackmails us, can he? No hm waar k rkh dety hn” harass srf wohi krta ha jis ke hath mn marks hn,lrkiyan b drti kuch ni bolti. Career fears hoty hn (No one can harass us if they do not have power like an office boy if he does, we will kill him because he does not have any power and if we report, people will listen and will act. But when it's about teachers, no one takes it seriously as career fears are there) 




Reckless Attitude

But this was not the only reason, some students were so confident. For them, harassment is not a big deal they know it happens. No matter what, they say, stupid things, they touch you whether you are involved or not, they say vulgar things, so the time is to take them easy. As one of the students replied:

"When I shared with my friends, they made me relaxed, making fun of him: he is a desperate person he needs a sexy girl like you. Leave him just chill and behave normal and pass the time."




Own Interests

It is believed that every time it is in your hands, you can take things seriously. A girl understands every gaze if someone stares at her. But sill, if she is ignoring such attitude of her harasser, then there are her interests that are involved, and those interests could not let her report. For example, one of them said:

“(Sometimes when you do not report, it could be your hidden purpose as students had to get a degree and that's why they compromise their respect on their degree. As their harassers hold power to fail them. Thus, they ignore their vulgar talks and every cheap act). 




Transaction Failure

During data collection, a respondent who was mature enough and a Ph.D. scholar used a term “transaction failure” for getting the benefits from teachers. According to her, transaction failure is when you do not get your benefits when they stop giving you benefits that time you claim harassment. Otherwise you keep enjoying bounties with them.

"You claim harassment only when the transaction fails."

"Escape is there every time. Why do girls compromise izzat on subjects, marks why are they important? I believe if a girl is a coward, she might offer strength to the harasser for the new target (girls). They should speak up, but we can't do anything if they enjoy that." 




Sugar Daddies a Complete Package

Another phrase is about sugar daddies, girls enjoy benefits, and they love making a relationship with them. 

Some women like mature men, they say jo maza married log dety hn wo koi or ni deta. Wo experienced hoty hn knware log maza ni dety. (Sugar daddies) a complete package hoty hn, they provide you everything that you want and in response, you too enjoy a sexual relationship with them as they are expert in sexual interactions. As they have families too so you can enjoy your time with your friends too. And girls do the same, they just claim harassment when the transaction fails when all their purposes are fulfilled. 

Eventually, according to respondents, harassment is nowhere with that much ratio as we are making noise. No doubt it happens somewhere but in many cases your interests are included or in rare cases, you are not so bold or daring to face the situation. 




Awareness & Coping Strategies

This portion covers the responses of students about their coping strategies and the level of awareness to combat harassment if it happens to them. In Pakistan, regarding the situation of sexual harassment in the workplace, a bill in 2010 was passed to protect women from harassment. Furthermore, to protect students from harassment within the premises of educational institutes, the HEC (Higher education commission of Pakistan) has developed a policy. But the problem is that there is no awareness of all those protection policies and strategies.

The basic purpose of questioning respondents' coping strategies was to reach their level of knowledge which they have. So that this study could help the policymakers to develop policies to tackle the situation of harassment accordingly. According to the responses of students, there are a lot of grey areas that we need to pay attention and the basic and necessary one is to increase the knowledge of students. Because they do not have any idea about any protection policy of HEC or from the Government and the element of lack of confidence is also there. 

Conclusion

Winding up all this debate, it can be concluded that harassment is an umbrella term that includes multiple types of harassment depending on the personal experiences and knowledge of people. Pakistan is a multilingual, multicultural, and multiethnic society; therefore, every person predicts harassment differently as it is an intermittent phenomenon. The researcher came to plenty of reactions. There are classes of students, the first are those who have enough knowledge of harassment and with their experiences, they have developed their coping strategies and confidence to protect themselves. The second category belongs to the people who do not have much knowledge even about the definition of harassment and if something happens or happened to them, they have not developed any counter-response to keep themselves safe and be a prey of harassment consecutively. Their situation to handle such an issue is such doleful that for them, it is such a diminutive thing, and they are just used to listening or bearing their harassers. So, their harassers are, they use unarticulated terminologies to symbolize female and their bodies. According to students, nobody takes notice. That's why it is a usual regular act for them, and harassment is touching the exorbitant levels that nobody sees as harassment anymore. In the guise of the regular, common, and modern way to be friendly with teachers, there are a lot of students who in real face harassment because teachers hold power. Ultimately, students partly have a lot of fears, compromise their self-respect and stay silent. Reporting behaviour is almost negligible, and a lack of knowledge exacerbates this situation. 

The time has come to say no to harassment, as students want development programs in this sector and training programs, seminars, and marketing material everywhere. So, the prevalence of information and education on harassment could impede this situation. 

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