Review of Related Literature

This section offers a summary of pertinent literature and research from both local and

international sources, focusing on the exploration of the experiences of Senior High School

(SHS) students who have survived sexual harassment. The research aims to delve into the

difficulties and complexities these students encounter, with the primary goal of comprehending

their lived experiences.

1. Sexual Harassment

The meaning of sexual harassment varies across different situations, and a widely agreed

definition for this phrase has yet to be established. One frequently seen word in scholarly

literature is that of sexual harassment, which encompasses any unwelcome sexual advances or

solicitations for sexual favors. The aforementioned statement aligns with the parameters outlined

in the Afghan legislation that prohibits the act of subjecting women and children to harassment.

The expression of affection towards a loving pet can manifest through verbal communication,

physical contact, or facial expressions such as smiles. The occurrence of communication might

manifest in either physical or digital forms (Galdi & Guizzo, 2021). Unwanted sexual conduct

encompasses various forms of behavior, such as physical contact involving touching, kissing, or

embracing, verbal contact involving the making of sexual comments or gestures, repeated

contact through means such as calling or texting, and explicit communication involving the

exchange of sexual content.

Sexual harassment encompasses a broad continuum of actions, ranging from relatively mild

instances such as engaging in prolonged gazing and making sexist remarks, to more serious

consequences such as explicitly soliciting sexual favors or engaging in acts of sexual assault.
Sexual harassers can manifest in several manifestations. According to the findings of Sivertsen et

al. (2019), the primary source of harassment was individuals who did not have any affiliation

with the university, with students themselves being the subsequent source. Based on the findings

of Wood et al. (2021), it was observed that males exhibited a higher prevalence as perpetrators of

harassment.

1.1 Sexual Harassment In The World And In The Philippines

World:

Sexual harassment is a common occurrence in high schools all around the United States,

and teenagers who experience or even witness sexual harassment may suffer from a variety of

detrimental effects (Salomon et al., 2021). In comparing the occurrence and effects of sexual

harassment and bullying in schools within a single sample, there is minimal study despite the fact

that both topics have been extensively researched. Sexual harassment has slightly more

prevalence rather than bullying, but both demonstrated meaningful associations with student

well-being indicators. Even a single experience of sexual harassment was associated with higher

student distress, with experiences of sexual rumors being the most distressing (Crowley and

Cornell, 2020).

According to a report by UN Women (2019) and the World Health Organization (2013),

around one-third of women globally experience physical and/or sexual abuse perpetrated by an

intimate partner or sexual violence inflicted by another individual. According to a citation from

UN Women (2019), there exists a population over 2.6 billion women residing in nations where

the act of marital rape remains unacknowledged as a criminal offense. The detrimental effects of

men's violence against women are exacerbated by various factors, including elevated rates of
infant and maternal mortality, inadequate educational opportunities for girls and women, limited

avenues for women to achieve financial autonomy, and a range of significant health issues

(World Health Organization, 2011; World Economic Forum, 2017).

According to Latcheva (2017), a significant proportion of women in EU member states,

ranging from 45 to 55 percent, which corresponds to around 100 million women, have

encountered instances of sexual harassment throughout their professional careers. According to

Tavares and Wodon (2018), the majority of nations worldwide, over 90%, have implemented

legislation addressing sexual harassment in the workplace. However, a significant proportion,

almost 60%, of these countries still lack comprehensive regulations specifically targeting sexual

harassment in higher education institutions and schools.

Philippines:

In the Philippines, rising incidences of harassment directed at Filipinos who identify as

lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI+) are part and parcel of the systemic

prejudice and discrimination based on an individual’s sexual orientation, gender identity, and

expression (SOGIE). In the absence of a national anti-discrimination legislation, the burden to

confront SOGIE-based harassment (SBH) rests upon the LGBTQI+ community and their allies

(Abesamis, 2023).

Gender-related violence, GRV, occurs and is not limited to sexual or physical assaults in

schools and/or workplaces, and to any type of gender; it can occur in many ways and to anyone:

men/boys, women/girls, and homosexuals: gays and lesbians. Due to some causes or factors

which deserve attention, gender-related violence against teachers has become a silent national

crisis (Pantaleon and Ison, 2020).

became in force, the primary law governing acts of sexual harassment in the Philippines was

Republic Act No. 7877 or the Anti-Sexual Harassment Act of 1995. However, the mentioned

Republic Act No.’s only penalize sexual harassment at work, training, or education perpetrated

by a person who has authority, influence, or moral superiority over another person. The passage

of the said Act aims to safeguard all genders from possible acts of sexual harassment in both

physical and online spaces (Gonzales 2023).

Peer-to-peer sexual harassment is a new type of gender-based sexual harassment under

Philippine law. Through the inclusion of punishable conduct of such nature in the Safe Spaces

Act of 2019, Congress has recognized the need to update the definition of sexual harassment to

cover acts committed between peers taking place in online and public spaces. Peer-to-peer sexual

harassment still exists within asymmetrical and gendered power relations, albeit less overt in its

manifestation (Tugade and Presto, 2021).

2. Types of Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment can be categorized into three main types: verbal, non-verbal, and

physical. Verbal sexual harassment involves unwelcome sexual comments or suggestions made

to unwilling recipients, while non-verbal harassment encompasses sexual communication

through means other than speech, such as explicit emails or text messages. Unwanted physical

contact, on the other hand, can range from inappropriate touching to more serious actions and

may constitute either sexual harassment or sexual assault, depending on its severity.

A recent study conducted by Kahsay and colleagues in 2020 found that sexual harassment

is a prevalent issue among female nurses, with approximately 43.15% of them reporting
experiencing some form of sexual harassment. This prevalence ranged from 10% to 87.30%,

with various forms of harassment reported: 35% experienced verbal harassment, 32.6% non-

verbal, 31% physical, and 40.8% psychological harassment. These findings highlight the

importance of addressing and preventing sexual harassment in the workplace to create a safer

and more inclusive environment.

3. How sexual harassment impacts their education.

According to Bodestam, F.et.,al (2020), there are many facets to the complex problem of

sexual harassment in academia, which affects all academics and presents many difficulties,

especially in addressing the problem. The author emphasized that sexual harassment

encompasses any type of unwanted verbal, non-verbal, or physical conduct of a sexual nature

that aims to violate an individual's dignity, especially when it creates an environment that is

threatening, hostile, degrading, humiliating, or offensive. The aforementioned behaviors seem to

qualify as harassment for both individuals who directly experience them and those who observe

them indirectly (as witnesses) in their surroundings. They can take place in physical space, in a

range of social contexts, or online. Sexual harassment seems, to produce lower self-esteem,

compromise mental health, disrupt sleep patterns, and lead to weight gain in students which is

something that schools strive to prevent at all costs. Due to the constant presence of adults and

school-proposed network blockages, schools are frequently regarded as safe environments where

sexual harassment is less prevalent. However, students may still be subjected to degrading text

messages despite network blockages. This is problematic due to adolescents' reliance on

technology for peer communication

Moreover, Cipriano, A.E et.,al (2022) reveal that most students feel the need to check

their phones every three to four minutes, so if they receive upsetting and malicious content
messages while they were in class, they would be unable to escape the harassment . In addition,

learners wouldn't be in the right frame of mind to learn in class if they were subjected to such

negative reinforcement. Students are distracted by sexual harassment, which has a negative

impact on their learning and grades. Due to sexual judgments, students' social skills decrease;

and self-esteem will be distracted and mentally unprepared to learn in class. Also, those who

participate in harassing students have lower levels of self-esteem than those who do not. This is

true not only for the victim but also for bystanders and the perpetrator. Sexual Harassment affects

everyone involved in self-esteem. Victims of sexual harassment frequently report mental health

issues like anxiety, depression, feelings of alienation, decreased concentration, and suicidal

ideation. Children who are the targets of sexual harassment have a higher risk of substance

abuse, dropping out of school, becoming aggressive, and engaging in criminal activity. Students

frequently fall behind in class or drop out of school as a result of these attitudes and behaviors,

which are not constructive in classroom settings. Psychological well-being is significant for kids

who are going through their early stages, yet young people who are being harassed have a

diminished feeling of psychological well-being and close-to-home prosperity.

4. Gender Disparities

In Pakistan, a number of studies have been conducted on sexual harassment of women.

Results indicated that women fall victim to sexual harassment more as compared to men. The

sample was 452 victims (192 men and 255 women) with ages ranging from 16 to 40 (Imtiaz S.

Kamal, 2021). It is said that women are three times more likely than men to experience sexual

harassment in the workplace. However, in the most male-dominated workplaces, women are

nearly six times more likely than men to be harassed, and the risk for men is almost twice as high
as women in the most female-dominated workplaces. It goes without saying that employees of

both sexes were strongly opposed to working in environments where sexual harassment had

occurred; in fact, this aversion was tripled if the victim had the same gender (Open Access

Government, 2022). Girls who were highly susceptible to peer influence, or who had friends who

were highly susceptible, had a relatively greater risk for involvement in relational aggression and

sexual harassment, as compared with boys (Goldstein, Sara E., 2020).

In a survey conducted by JAMA SURGERY 2021, a study of 6,764 residents enrolled in 301

general surgery programs across the US shows 80% of women and 17% of men reported

experiencing gender discrimination, and 43% of women and 22% of men reported experiencing

sexual harassment.

5. Effects on Mental Health

Sexual harassment in the office or educational setting involves unwelcome sexual

advances, demands for sexual assistance, and other forms of physical or verbal sexual

harassment. An encounter with sexual harassment can either induce new symptoms of sadness

and anxiety, or it can intensify a previously governed or treated disorder. Some research

discovered that sexual harassment early in a person's life, in particular, can cause long-term

symptoms of depression in individuals. Someone experiencing or coping with the consequences

of sexual harassment may experience symptoms of PTSD, especially if the harassment results in

physical or emotional assault. "90% of women who suffer harassment in their first few days

display signs and symptoms of acute stress," explains Dr. Helen Wilson, a certified clinical

psychologist with a license who specializes in the impacts of trauma.

health problems while doing poorly in school. Adolescents are more likely than all other ages to

be sexually assaulted. This is also the moment when mental health issues commonly emerge, as

well as when adolescents take important exams and make school decisions. Poor school

attendance became more common among youths who reported sexual assault throughout the next

year. Absenteeism was twice as common one year after the incident as it was six weeks later. The

kids explained that this was due to psychological disorders and difficulty sleeping. Poor

attendance linked to poor academic achievement, which caused insomnia and anxiety.

Research indicates that 3 out of 5 women report having been the subject of sexual

harassment at work, while 65% of women report having been harassed on the street. Research

has also shown that 7% of males experience sexual harassment at work. However, 80% of these

victims choose not to report the incident. An isolated memory network is created when a

traumatic or upsetting event overwhelms natural coping mechanisms, leaving the memory and

related stimuli unprocessed and unstored. Following a traumatic occurrence, a person may feel

helpless or out of control over that part of their life. To mask their feelings of fear, hopelessness,

and shame, they may resort to restricting or bingeing behaviors. Non-suicidal self-injury,

involving cutting and various forms of self-harm as a way to let go of guilt and anger, is another

self-destructive practice performed as a self-medication after a traumatic experience.

6. Legal Protection

RA 7877

The Anti-Sexual Harassment Act of 1995 is a Philippine law that defines and penalizes

work, education, or training-related sexual harassment. It also mandates that employers or heads
of offices to prevent and address sexual harassment cases in their respective workplaces or

institutions. The law covers sexual harassment committed by any person who has authority,

influence, or moral ascendancy over another in a work or training or education environment,

regardless of whether the demand, request, or requirement for submission is accepted or not by

the object of the act. The law provides for administrative sanctions, civil liabilities, and criminal

penalties for the offenders.

The Lawphil Project is a Supreme Court decision that affirms the conviction of a public

officer for violating the Anti-Sexual Harassment Act of 1995. The case involves a regional

director of the National Economic and Development Authority who made a series of unwelcome

sexual advances and requests to a contractual employee under his supervision. The court ruled

that the accused abused his power and authority over the victim and created an intimidating,

hostile, or offensive environment for her. The court also emphasized the three-fold liability of

sexual harassment: criminal, civil, and administrative.

Approaches to and Remedies under Sexual Harassment Law - STOPVAW is a website

that provides information and resources on the prevention and elimination of violence against

women. It discusses the different approaches and remedies that countries adopt to address sexual

harassment, such as civil remedies under discrimination and labor laws, and criminal remedies

under sexual assault laws. It also highlights the importance of having a clear definition of sexual

harassment, a comprehensive legal framework, and effective enforcement mechanisms to protect

the rights and dignity of the victims.

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission] is a document that explains the legal

definition and scope of sexual harassment discrimination under U.S. federal law. It states that

sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination that violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act
of 1964, which applies to employers with 15 or more employees. It also provides examples of

sexual harassment behaviors, such as unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors,

and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature. It further outlines the responsibilities of

employers and the rights of employees in preventing and reporting sexual harassment cases.

The Legal Rights of Victims of Sexual Harassment is a law firm that specializes in

employment law and consumer class actions. It enumerates the legal rights of victims of sexual

harassment, such as the right to work in a safe environment, free from discrimination; the right to

file a complaint and seek legal remedies; the right to be free from retaliation; and the right to

receive compensation for damages. It also advises the victims to document the incidents of

sexual harassment, report them to the appropriate authorities, and consult a lawyer for legal

assistance.
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