If you thought sexual harassment happened only to women, then it
is time to think again, a recent survey has revealed.
According to research by the Kowloon Federation of Associations
(KFA), while both sexes show an equally high awareness of the
subject, in Hong Kong, more men (30.8 percent) than women (19
percent) have suffered verbal harassment such as sexual joking,
indiscrete conversations or explicit comments about their
figures.
For both men and women, 67 percent of victims said they had
reported such incidents.
Being forced to view obscene materials was shown to be a bigger
problem among men (15.4 percent) than women (1.7 percent), while
undesired physical contact was reported by 46 percent of the men
polled.
"The results show an increase in sexual harassment faced by Hong
Kong men in recent years," Yolanda Ng, from the committee of
Women's Coalition of the KFA, said.
"Although some report their cases, many don't because they
believe no one will believe them."
This reluctance might explain why 23 percent of the men polled
said that they thought it was "pointless" reporting incidents to
the police.
Male pride also makes it hard for some men to admit they have
been a victim of harassment, Ng said.
Henry Tang, a 29-year-old human resources professional, said he
had had an unpleasant experience on a bus.
"It was pretty empty on the upper deck but a young man sat down
next to me," Tang said.
"Some minutes later his fingers started to wander up my thigh,
to see if I'd respond. I stood up and left."
While the harasser caused Tang no further trouble, he said the
incident left him upset for a long while.
Zach Wat, a 27-year-old interior designer, said he had
experienced similar incidents.
"I've been groped by a man at the gym, and by a female boss at
work," Wat said.
"It's hard to tell people about it without sounding like a loser
or a liar. They might think I'm a sissy or I'm making it up."
(China Daily September 5, 2007)