Students’ Awareness of Sexual Harassment Forms at Campus II, University of Labor and Social Affairs

Abstract

Sexual harassment (SH) remains a pervasive yet underrecognized issue in Vietnamese higher education, particularly regarding non-physical and culturally normalized behaviors. This study investigates students’ awareness and perceptions of different forms of sexual harassment at Campus II, University of Labor and Social Affairs. Employing a mixed-methods design, quantitative data were collected through a structured questionnaire administered to 364 students, complemented by in-depth interviews with selected students and university staff. The findings indicate that while most students are able to accurately identify overt and explicit forms of sexual harassment, such as unwanted physical contact or forced exposure to pornographic content, awareness of verbal, non-verbal, and technology-mediated harassment remains limited. Behaviors occurring in familiar contexts—such as joking among peers, interactions within romantic relationships, or physical contact by relatives—are often trivialized or perceived as normal, leading to the normalization of boundary violations. Notable gender differences were observed, with female students demonstrating higher sensitivity and accuracy in identifying sexually harassing behaviors than male students. The study highlights significant gaps in comprehensive sexuality education and consent awareness, underscoring the need for targeted communication, social work interventions, and institutional policies to enhance awareness and prevent sexual harassment in university settings.