Li Zheng, Yu Xiao
University students' perceptions of sexual harassment are shaped by complex intersections of gendered expectations, social hierarchies, situational factors, and personal history. The identified pathways reveal systematic patterns and contextual nuances that should strategically inform the development of prevention programs, institutional policies, and targeted educational interventions within higher education.
OBJECTIVES: This study examines how Chinese university students perceive sexual harassment, aiming to understand (a) the processes of identification and interpretation of incidents, (b) the structural patterns underlying these perceptions, and (c) the roles of gender dynamics, social status, situational context, and prior personal experiences in shaping judgments.
METHODS: The research draws on in-depth interviews with 20 graduate students in Beijing, generating 25 distinct cases of explicit harassment judgments. Using crisp-set qualitative comparative analysis (csQCA), the study constructed a truth table based on causal conditions to identify the conjunctural causal pathways leading to an incident being perceived as sexual harassment.
RESULTS: Analysis revealed four distinct configurational paths: (1) harassment of women by high-status strangers, underscoring gendered and hierarchical norms; (2) harassment of women by higher-status individuals in private settings, emphasizing contextual vulnerability; (3) inconsistent perception within intimate relationships, split between requiring explicit consent and exempting partners; and (4) recognition of male victimization by strangers in public, though this was less prevalent. Perceptions were dominated by cases of female victims, influenced by primacy effects, real-life relevance, and institutional discourses. Social status and contextual cues consistently moderated judgments, while prior experiences heightened sensitivity to potential harassment.
CONCLUSIONS: University students' perceptions of sexual harassment are shaped by complex intersections of gendered expectations, social hierarchies, situational factors, and personal history. The identified pathways reveal systematic patterns and contextual nuances that should strategically inform the development of prevention programs, institutional policies, and targeted educational interventions within higher education.