Prevalence of Sexual Harassment and its Associated with Perceived risk Factor among Female Undergraduate Students in Bharatpur.

Abstract

Sexual harassment is any unwanted sexual behavior and is a serious problem in both social and school settings. In places like Bharatpur, many women do not report these incidents because of deep-rooted patriarchy, fear of being judged, and a lack of trust in their schools to help them. 

To study this issue, a cross-sectional quantitative research design was used. The researcher collected information from 124 female undergraduate students from three different colleges in Bharatpur. A printed questionnaire containing 35 questions with 7 different variables was physically distributed to students, which they filled out themselves using a Three-point Likert scale. The collected information was then entered into Excel and analyzed using SPSS software to identify patterns and relationships.

The results showed that 26.6% of students definitely experienced sexual harassment, while 50% were "not sure", suggesting that many students may not clearly understand what counts as harassment or feel uncomfortable labeling their experiences. The biggest risk factors identified were a lack of awareness and the social stigma or blame that victims face from society.

The study concludes that there is an urgent need for better education and stronger support systems. It is essential to focus on creating a safer environment in both social and academic settings to ensure that students can learn in a respectful and inclusive atmosphere without fear.

The results are valuable for policymakers, educational institutions, researchers and local authorities, aiming to foster a respectful and inclusive academic atmosphere for students.