UNAIR NEWS- It is undeniable that sexual harassment is still one of the crimes that can occur anywhere, including in a campus environment. Despite being in an academic environment, sexual harassment against students still often occurs and unfortunately, it has not received proper attention and treatment.
Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR) expert on Physical Anthropology, Gender and Sexuality Prof. Dra. Myrtati Dyah Artaria, MA. Ph.D, revealed that the wrong perception to victims of sexual harassment and the lacking campus commitment could lessen the efforts to prevent these types of crimes.
“There are enormous cultural influences that shape the perception that potentially encourages sexual harassment. Some consider sexual attention a compliment. Or it is normal for someone to enjoy the beauty of other people’s bodies on the streets while making sensual utterances,” explained Prof. Dra. Myrtati, a professor in UNAIR’s Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP).
Another bad perception that must also be eradicated is the perception that the victim is being harassed because of their ‘inviting attire’ or behavior that makes them worthy of harassment. “Whereas whoever and however they are, women or men, do not deserve to experience this kind of behavior,” she added.
Prof. Myrtati also highlighted how sexual harassment on campus could occur in various forms and types. She said that there are at least 13 types of harassment that must be known and understood in order to avoid it.
The types of harassment are opportunist, confidante, power-player, motherly/fatherly figure, gang, harassment in closed spaces, groper, situational harassment, pest, the great gallant, intellectual seducer, incompetent, and sexualized environment.
Preventive measures
To prevent harassment within a campus, Prof. Myrtati appealed to the campus institution to have a clear policy to prevent and tackle the sexual harassment problem. Furthermore, reports of sexual harassment must be followed by investigations, psychological counseling, and assistance to deal with stress on survivors.
Prof. Myrtati explained that the protection of victims must be a shared priority. “Survivors have the potential to become victims again, whether the perpetrators wanted revenge or other actors in their environment,” she added.
She highlighted many institutions that are still failing to commit to victim protection efforts because they are trying to protect their name and reputation. “As a result, there are often cases of pressure to leave the institution, termination of scholarships, poor grades, terror, and systemic bad treatment that befalls survivors,” explained the professor of FISIP UNAIR.
So, through her presentation in the UNAIR Psychology community service webinar titled ‘Building Self-Compassion for Sexual Harassment Survivors,’ Prof. Myrtati hoped that educational institutions would commit to policies and measures to prevent sexual harassment and protect survivors.
“Survivors must immediately receive counseling and assistance. Do stress management, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and provide family and friends’ supports,” concluded Prof. Myrtati.
Author: Intang Arifia
Editor: Binti Q. Masruroh (AC/AP)
