A Part of the Requirement for Midterm Submission of REPORT WRITING)

THE UNTOLD STORY OF MALE HARRASMENT IN OUR SOCIETY;

THE OTHER SIDE (A CASE STUDY OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN
KARACHI)

SUBMITTED BY
HAFSA REHAN (654-2020)
Bachelor of Media Science
Department of Design
Indus University Karachi

SUBMITTED TO
TAIMOOR AHMED
Media Science
Department of Design
Indus University

Dated: 20th APRIL, 2023

Contents
ABSTRACT: ........................................................................................................................... 3
INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................... 4
1.1 INTRODUCTION OF TOPIC ................................................................................... 4
1.2 BACKGROUND ....................................................................................................... 5
1.3 PURPOSE OF STUDY .............................................................................................. 6
1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY .................................................................................... 6
1.5 SCOPE OF STUDY ................................................................................................... 7
1.6 RESEARCH QUESTIONS ........................................................................................ 8
1.7 OBJECTIVES ........................................................................................................... 8
LITERATURE REVIEW ........................................................................................................ 9
 ABSTRACT:
Harassment of males in Pakistan is a largely unaddressed issue that has significant social and

psychological consequences for victims. This form of harassment takes many forms,

including verbal, physical, and sexual harassment, and can occur in public spaces, schools,

workplaces, and even within families. Victims of male harassment often face stigma and

shame due to cultural beliefs and societal norms, which often perpetuate the idea that males

should be strong and able to protect themselves. Additionally, legal and institutional

frameworks for addressing male harassment are weak or non-existent, making it difficult for

victims to seek justice. It is important for policymakers, civil society, and communities to

raise awareness about this issue and to work together to create a safer environment for males

in Pakistan.
 INTRODUCTION

1.1 INTRODUCTION OF TOPIC

Harassment is a behavior that aims to harm someone emotionally or physically and can take

many forms, including verbal, physical, or psychological abuse. It is a significant issue in

various settings, such as the workplace, schools, and public spaces, and can have serious

negative consequences on an individual's well-being. Despite the common misconception that

only women experience harassment, men can also be targets, but societal norms and gender

roles often make it challenging for them to speak out. The issue of male harassment, also

known as male sexual harassment, involves unwanted and unwelcome sexual advances,

comments, or behaviors towards a man, regardless of the perpetrator's gender. This pervasive

problem often goes unreported and can cause severe psychological and emotional distress,

such as anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Understanding the root causes

of male harassment and challenging societal norms can help create a culture that values

respect and dignity for all individuals, irrespective of gender. By raising awareness about

male harassment, we can promote healthy and respectful interactions between genders and

create safer and more inclusive environments for everyone. In recent years, there has been

increasing attention paid to the issue of male harassment, and the harmful effects it can have

on individuals, communities, and society as a whole. Despite this increased attention,

however, there is still a great deal of work that needs to be done to address the issue

effectively. One of the biggest challenges in addressing male harassment is the fact that many

men who experience it may feel ashamed, embarrassed, or reluctant to speak out. This is due,

in part, to societal norms and gender roles that often make it difficult for men to acknowledge

and confront the issue. For example, the cultural expectation that men should be strong,

assertive, and in control can make it challenging for them to admit that they are being

harassed, or to seek help when they need it. Another challenge in addressing male harassment
is the fact that it is often perpetuated by individuals who hold harmful attitudes and beliefs

about masculinity and femininity. These attitudes and beliefs can be deeply ingrained in our

culture and can be difficult to change. To address this issue, it is essential to work on

promoting gender equality and challenging harmful gender stereotypes. Despite these

challenges, there are many steps that can be taken to address male harassment effectively.

These include increasing awareness about the issue, promoting healthy and respectful

interactions between genders, providing support and resources for victims, and holding

perpetrators accountable for their actions.

1.2 BACKGROUND
The issue of sexual harassment against men is gaining attention as more men are coming

forward to report their experiences. According to the Equal Employment Opportunity

Commission (EEOC) in the United States, there were 6,822 sexual harassment complaints

reported in 2015, with men filing 17.1% of these cases. Although the concept of sexual

harassment of males has existed in many cultures, it was not until the 1970s that it was first

legally defined. The first public acknowledgment of male sexual harassment in the United

States occurred in 1995, when a female supervisor at Dominoes pinched a male manager's

buttocks. The Sexual Harassment of Men at Workplace Bill was passed in 2012 in Pakistan,

which initially only protected women and their modesty. However, this does not imply that

there is little sexual harassment of men as research shows that men are equally vulnerable. A

survey conducted in seven cities of Pakistan found that 19% of the 527 respondents had

experienced sexual harassment at work or in universities, with 38% of the respondents

answering so about workplaces. In the UK, a government survey in 2006 revealed that two

out of every five sexual harassment victims were males, and men made up 8% of all sexual

harassment complaints to the Equal Opportunities Commission (EEOC).

1.3 PURPOSE OF STUDY
The purpose of this study is to explore the issue of male sexual harassment in the workplace

and its impact on men. Despite the increasing number of male victims reporting sexual

harassment, this topic remains largely unaddressed in academic literature and social

discourse. This study aims to bridge the gap in understanding and raise awareness of the

issue. The study will investigate the prevalence of male sexual harassment in the workplace,

the types of harassment experienced, and the psychological and emotional impact on male

victims. It will also explore the reasons behind the underreporting of male sexual harassment

and the societal and cultural factors that perpetuate this issue. The significance of this study

lies in its potential to shed light on a topic that is often overlooked or dismissed in

discussions about sexual harassment. By examining the experiences of male victims, we

can gain a better understanding of the complexities and nuances of this issue and work

towards creating a more inclusive and equitable workplace environment. This study will

contribute to the broader discourse on gender and power dynamics in the workplace. By

addressing male sexual harassment, we can challenge the prevailing societal norms and

gender roles that perpetuate harmful attitudes and beliefs about masculinity and femininity.

This will pave the way for more open and honest conversations about gender equality and

promote healthy and respectful interactions between genders. Ultimately, this study seeks to

promote awareness, understanding, and action towards addressing male sexual harassment

in the workplace.

1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY

The research on male harassment in Pakistan, specifically among college students, has

significant importance in shedding light on this understudied issue. Despite the prevalent

nature of harassment in the country, there is a lack of precise investigation that specifically

focuses on male harassment. This study aims to address this gap by providing insight into the

prevalence, nature, and outcomes of male harassment in Karachi. The significance of this

study lies in exploring the social and cultural factors that contribute to male harassment in
Pakistan, including gender roles, power dynamics, and patriarchal attitudes that privilege men

and subjugate women. By examining the experiences of male victims, the study will also

reveal how male harassment perpetuates and sustains gender-based violence and inequality.

The study's findings will inform the development of interventions and strategies that target

the root causes of harassment and support male victims. This will include the development of

gender-sensitive policies and practices in educational institutions, workplaces, and public

spaces. The study's mixed methods approach, which includes surveys, interviews, and focus

group discussions, will provide a comprehensive understanding of the issue that can be used

to inform future research on male harassment in Pakistan and beyond. The study's sample,

which will be selected using a stratified random sampling method, will ensure that the

findings are representative of male college students in Karachi.

1.5 SCOPE OF STUDY

This study aims to fill the research gap on male harassment in Pakistan, particularly among

university students in Karachi. A mixed-methods approach will be utilized, which includes

surveys, interviews, and focus group discussions to gather data on the prevalence, nature, and

consequences of male harassment. Male university students in Karachi will be selected as

participants using a stratified random sampling technique to ensure a representative sample.

The study's focus on male victims of harassment is significant because male harassment is

often neglected and under-researched, particularly in Pakistan, where cultural and social

factors contribute to the stigma surrounding male exploitation. The study's findings will

provide insights into the experiences of male victims of harassment and the factors that

contribute to the perpetuation of the issue. The mixed-methods approach of the study will

provide a comprehensive understanding of the problem, including the types of harassment

experienced by male university students in Karachi, the settings in which harassment occurs,
and the impact of harassment on the victims. The findings will also inform the development

of interventions and policies aimed at addressing male harassment in educational institutions

and public spaces.

1.6 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

 What should be done to break the cause of male harassment?

 What help can be made for the men who deals with male harassment usually?

 How the provocation can come to an end in the harassment regard?

 Why men don’t raise their voice for their rights after being trapped with harassment?

 What are the common misconceptions and attitudes towards harassment among the

general public, and how can they be addressed through awareness campaigns?

1.7 OBJECTIVES
To determine the prevalence of male sexual harassment in the workplace.

• To identify the types of harassment experienced by male victims in the workplace.

• To investigate the psychological and emotional impact of male sexual harassment in the

Workplace.

• To explore the reasons behind the underreporting of male sexual harassment.

• To examine the societal and cultural factors that perpetuate male sexual harassment in

The workplace.

• To raise awareness of male sexual harassment in the workplace and its impact on men.

• To promote a more inclusive and equitable workplace environment through education

And awareness.

LITERATURE REVIEW
Jennifer L Berdahl, Vicki J Magley, Craig R Waldo stated in Psychology of Women

Quarterly 20 (4), 527-547, 1996.

As of late the focal point of inappropriate behavior research on the badgering of ladies by

men has been tested. However, gender differences in power have generally been ignored in

responses to sexual harassment of men. Our examination predicts that ways of behaving

recognized as irritating by men come from discussions of orientation in the work

environment that challenge male strength, while ways of behaving experienced by ladies as

physically bugging build up female subordinance. The outcomes showed the following,

which was consistent with our predictions: Men are significantly less frightened by actions

that women have found to be harassing than women are; The most threatening type of

harassment for men is sexual coercion; men as well as ladies physically pester men; and men

identify behaviors as harassing in ways that women do not. Men's resistance to organizational

measures to combat sexual harassment and discrimination against women was also evident in

the results. Suggestions for mental and lawful meanings of inappropriate behavior of men are

talked about.

Wai Yen Tang, Jesse Fox stated in

Aggressive behavior 42 (6), 513-521, 2016

Online computer games bear co‐play and social association, frequently unknown, among

players from around the world. As anticipated by the social personality model of

deindividuation impacts, bothersome way of behaving is entirely expected in web based

gaming conditions, and online provocation has turned into an unavoidable issue in the
gaming local area. In this review, we looked to figure out what character attributes and game‐

related factors anticipated two sorts of web-based animosity in computer games: general

provocation (e.g., skill‐based provoking, offending others' knowledge) and lewd behavior

(e.g., misogynist remarks, assault dangers). Men who play online computer games (N = 425)

partook in a mysterious web-based study. Social predominance direction and threatening

sexism anticipated more significant levels of both lewd behavior and general provocation in

web based games. Game contribution and long periods of week after week ongoing

interaction were extra indicators of general provocation. We examine ramifications of online

social animosity and online lewd behavior for web based gaming. We additionally apply our

discoveries to the more extensive comprehension of online badgering, cyberaggression,

cyberbullying, and different types of online antagonism in computer‐mediated

correspondence settings.

Margaret S Stockdale, Michelle Visio, Leena Batra stated in

Psychology, Public Policy, and Law 5 (3), 630, 1999

The article forces a sociology structure on a regulation based hypothesis of inappropriate

behavior sent by Katherine Franke (1997), which looked to address deficiencies of surviving

hypothesis and to represent abnormal types of inappropriate behavior, quite male same-sex

lewd behavior (SSSH). Sex-job overflow hypothesis, inappropriate behavior environment

hypothesis, and Person× Circumstance hypothesis are examined with respect to their capacity

to represent SSSH. Primer hypothesizes of this structure are tried with information from the

1995 Branch of Safeguard inappropriate behavior study of the US military (JE Edwards, TW

Elig, DL Edwards, and RA Riemer (1997). The outcomes propose that SSSH happens on the

grounds that designated men don't accommodate their guilty parties' orientation job

generalization of hetero hypermasculinity. Legitimate and work environment suggestions are

examined with an end goal to grow existing speculations and approaches in regards to lewd

behavior to this seriously enveloping perspective.

Margaret S Stockdale, Cynthia Gandolfo Berry, Robert W Schneider, Feng Cao stated in

Psychology of Men & Masculinity 5 (2), 158, 2004

Factors influencing impression of lewd behavior (SH) against men were inspected in a

situation based investigation of 330 female and 257 male understudies and grown-ups. We

speculated that equivalent sex dismissal based badgering happens to police manly

articulations. Along these lines, people lining up with this point of view would be more

outlandish than others to view such occurrences as SH. The creators controlled orientation of

initiator and kind of badgering (move toward versus reject). Men and respondents with solid

hypermasculinity perspectives were more outlandish than others to see the cases as SH

however just in dismissal based situations. Same-sex provocation was seen to be less hassling

than other-sex badgering in the dismissal based situations, yet the inverse was valid for

approach-based provocation.

Ståle Einarsen, Bjørn I Raknes stated in

Violence and victims 12 (3), 247-263, 1997

Provocation and exploitation among male specialists were concentrated on in an example of

460 modern laborers, bosses and directors inside a Norwegian marine designing industry. The

outcomes showed that animosity and badgering are critical issues in this authoritative setting.

Consistently, 7% of the men revealed being exposed to something like one of the

accompanying ways of behaving from collaborators or bosses: disparage and offending

prodding, boisterous attack, tales and tattles spread about themselves, irritating comments,

repeating updates on bungles, aggression or quiet while entering a discussion, or the

depreciating of one's work and work. As numerous as 22% detailed being exposed to at least

one of these demonstrations in some measure month to month. Albeit such demonstrations

and behaviors are normal and experienced by most association individuals every so often,

they may fundamentally weaken mental wellbeing and prosperity as well as generally

speaking position fulfillment while happening reliably and efficiently. Critical relationships

were found between openness to badgering and both work fulfillment and mental wellbeing

and prosperity. Solid relationships were found between openness to badgering and

disappointment with colleague communication.