One in four Hong Kong university students has been sexually harassed – but fewer than 3 per cent filed a complaint
- Equal Opportunities Commission reveals lack of sex education in schools has made youngsters more vulnerable
- One undergraduate recalls professor hinting she might get better grades if she wore a shorter skirt, while a male student was repeatedly pursued with offer of an all-expenses paid foreign trip
Almost one in four university students in Hong Kong has been sexually harassed – but fewer than 3 per cent filed a complaint as most were unsure of the definition of an offence, the equality watchdog has found.
The survey by the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC), the first citywide poll of its kind, revealed that a lack of sex education in secondary and primary schools had made young men and women more vulnerable to harassment.
Most of the victims said perpetrators included classmates, tutors, lecturers and professors, according to the survey that polled 14,442 university students. The study, conducted in March and April 2018, found that 23 per cent of polled students had been sexually harassed in the previous 12 months.
The victims said one of the most common forms of harassment was casually making sexual comments or jokes.
In one case, an undergraduate recalled her male professor hinting that if she wore a shorter skirt, she might be given a higher mark on her class presentation.
Another incident revealed that a male professor repeatedly asked a male undergraduate student on an all-expenses paid overseas trip.