Acoso sexual callejero en estudiantes mujeres de medicina de la Universidad de Cuenca de primero a tercer ciclo. 2023

Abstract

Background: The street sexual harassment experienced by university students causes feelings of vulnerability, and they are victims of behaviors and attitudes that are accompanied by mockery and threats that can lead to blows or insults. Objective: To describe the characteristics of street sexual harassment in female medical students at the University of Cuenca from first to third semester 2023. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out with 170 students from first to third semester who signed the informed consent, using the validated street sexual harassment scale. The data were tabulated in SPSS 23.0 and analyzed using descriptive statistics, presenting the results in frequency and percentage tables. Results: A 100% of the surveyed group have experienced street sexual harassment. The 82% were between 15 and 19 years old, with 66% being more common in rural areas. The students classified bullying as low intensity, being expressive, verbal, physical, exhibitionism, and persecution in 76%, 66%, 72%, 69%, and 45%, respectively. Expressive, verbal, physical bullying and exhibitionism ranged from 65%, 55%, 60% and 38% according to age. Physical harassment and persecution were higher in the first semester (79%) and 51%, while exhibitionism was more frequent in the second semester (73%). Conclusions: Female students have been victims of street sexual harassment in all its dimensions, despite the negative repercussions, few students recognized it as a negative practice and not as a natural attitude of the male sex.