Sexual harassment in public transport and its coping strategies among bachelor students: A cross sectional study

Abstract

Introduction: Sexual harassment in public transport is a common, yet little discussed form of gender-based aggression, predominantly to women. Such abuses have a significant on the mental health of the victims. It also leads them to abandon work and education due to the fear of being harassed on their route. Knowledge regarding the prevalence and coping strategies against such harassment is necessary to formulate effective plans for its mitigation. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study done among 105 bachelor students of Maiya Devi Kanya College of Bharatpur, Chitwan. Self-administered structured questionnaires were used. A Chi-square test was used to determine the significance of the association between variables. Results: Out of 105, 23 students mentioned that they had been sexually harassed in public transport. The non-verbal form was the commonest followed by verbal and physical. Almost half of the respondents mentioned that they would prefer to remain silent (47.6 %) and not react to the situation (54.3%). Self-discipline and effective law were deemed as major ways to prevent such abuses. Conclusion: When girls remain unsafe in public transport, it affects their self-esteem and ultimately hampers their personal productivity and national growth. Stricter laws, unprejudiced societies, and moral values are necessary to prevent as well as help women cope with such harassment.

Keywords

• coping strategy,
• law
• public transport
• sexual harassment