Arab Educational Information Network

The research aims at identifying the causes and aspects of sexual harassment and its psychological effects and the methods of facing it from the point of view of university female students. The researcher used the descriptive approach. The sample of the research consisted of (193) female students of level four of all departments of the College of Education –Taiz University. To collect the data, the researchers used measure of sexual harassment (prepared by them). The measure was administered to the target sample during the first semester of the academic year 2015-2016. The research revealed the following: 1) Regarding the sources that expose university female students to sexual harassment, “Strangers in the street” came in the first rank (Percentage = 75%), followed by “University teacher” (Percentage = 72.22%). 2) Regarding the places where sexual harassment takes place, “While walking in public streets” came in the first rank (Percentage = 63.8%), followed by “While being in public transportations” (Percentage = 61.1%). 3) Regarding aspects of verbal sexual harassment, “Telling sexual jokes and anecdotes that carry more than one meaning in front of girls” came in the first rank (Percentage = 58.32%), followed by “Teasing via telephone calls” (Percentage =50%). 4) Regarding aspects of non-verbal sexual harassment, “smiles” came in the first rank (Percentage = 66.67%), followed by “whistling” (Percentage = 55.56%). 5) Regarding the reasons of sexual harassment attributed to males, “Sons” joining morally degenerate gangs to satisfy their physical and social needs” came in the first rank (Percentage = 91.7%), followed by “Watching pornographic foreign programs” (Percentage = 86.11%). 6) Regarding the reasons of sexual harassment attributed to females, “Suspicious places frequented by a female student such those where young people meet their girlfriends” and “The deflected behavior of the girl” came equally in the first rank (Percentage = 61.11%). 7) Regarding the community causes that makes girl behaves passively towards sexual harassment (does not respond), “female student’s fear of scandal, shame, and denigration” came in the first rank (Percentage = 80.56%), followed by female student’s fear of being prevented by her family to continue her university studying (Percentage = 69.44%). 8) Regarding the methods of facing university female students with sexual harassment, “Leaving the place where sexual harassment takes place” came in the first rank (Percentage = 77.78%), followed by “Showing looks of blame and anger on the harasser by using facial expressions” (Percentage = 75%). 9) Regarding the psychological effects of sexual harassment, both items “Feeling angry” and “Fear and tension” came equally in the first rank (Percentage = 80.56%). (Published abstract)