Abstract
This study tested a model of Egyptian women’s well-being and perception of the threat of sexual harassment. The model was drawn from multiple theoretical frameworks, including the vulnerability perspective, objectification theory, and religious perspectives. Nine variables in the model reflect societal, interpersonal, and cultural variables that are believed to relate to women’s views about threats and social risks related to sexual harassment. A total of 1,977 Egyptian women aged 19-45 years voluntarily participated in the study. Path analysis showed that exposure to street sexual harassment was the strongest predictor of both perception of the threat of sexual harassment and a sense of vulnerability to sexual harassment. However, more nuanced results from the model had implications for social work education and research. This study fills an important gap in social work education related to sexual harassment by examining a complex web of interpersonal, environmental, and cultural factors relevant to women’s view of the threat of sexual harassment.
Highlights
Sexual harassment can be characterized by women’s exposure in public to various forms of verbal and physical assaults (Laniya, 2005; McCurm, 2017), posing a serious threat to women’s freedom (Dhilon, & Bakaya, 2014) and a challenge to women’s confidence (Fairchild & Rudman, 2008)
This study investigated a complex web of beliefs and attitudes related to Egyptian women’s perceptions of the threat of sexual harassment
Variables related to public sexual harassment included the women’s levels of activity and social engagement, religiosity, awareness of destabilizing social, political, and economic conditions, negative media influence, external stress, confidence in ability to cope with stress, exposure to sexual harassment, perception of threat of sexual harassment, and sense of vulnerability to street sexual harassment
Summary
Sexual harassment can be characterized by women’s exposure in public to various forms of verbal and physical assaults (Laniya, 2005; McCurm, 2017), posing a serious threat to women’s freedom (Dhilon, & Bakaya, 2014) and a challenge to women’s confidence (Fairchild & Rudman, 2008). A critical characteristic is that the phenomenon of sexual harassment is complex, affected by many societal, interpersonal, and cultural factors. The few studies on sexual harassment from the social work perspective have focused on identifying types of sexual abuse (Crittenden, 2009), its causes (Al-Bakar, Al-Adailah, & Al-Nablisi, 2017; Willness, Steel, & Lee, 2017), its impacts on victims, and the programs that are developed and implemented to provide protection and safety for female victims (Avina, & O’Donohue, 2002; Gutek, & Koss, 1993). Limited studies focused on societal recognitions, awareness, laws, and regulations developed to address sexual harassment (Baxi, 2001; Cowan & Ullman, 2006) and the cultural ramification of such a devastating phenomenon (Wasti, Bergman, Glomb, & Drasgow, 2000)
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