Sexual harassment among adolescents is considered to be a public health problem that affects the climate of educational spaces and the development of boys and girls. However, how can it be defined? A consensus exists on an international scale, according to which sexual harassment encompasses all those troublesome and aggressive behaviours of a sexual nature that are expressed in various forms: a) verbal aggressions, such as making sexual comments, jokes or uttering insults of a sexual nature; b) visual agressions, such as directing obscene looks or showing sexual content to another person without their consent, or exposing that person to it; c) inflicting physical aggressions, such as undesired sexual contacts or sexual attention, and d) in more recent times, virtual sexual aggressions, such as exposing people to sexual contents, making sexual requests or sexually insulting someone in cyberspace. Visual and verbal forms are usually analysed together, since visual aggressions (for example, an obscene look) are usually accompanied by crude or harsh comments. 

During adolescence, boys and girls construct their sexual and gender identity, therefore they devote an important part of their interactions to the expression of sexual and romantic interest and desire. This is no simple task, and often sexual harassment is the consequence of poor learning and deficient management of students’ sexual and affective life, resulting in a kind of coarse and rough form of courting that hinders the identification of these conducts as true aggressions. With the aim of teaching adolescent girls and boys to identify sexual harassment and in order to raise its visibility, the programme “Virtual-PRO” was born. The results of this article show the initial prevalence data between male and female pupils – secondary education students – who took part in this programme. 

Which are the most frequent sexual harassment behaviours among adolescent boys and girls? Asked about their experiences of sexual harassment over the last two months, they described visual/verbal sexual harassment as being the most frequent. Particularly, “obscene looks, comments or gestures”, as well as “insults using words such as fag, dyke, whore, or similar” were the most prevalent behaviours. Below are the prevalence data, broken down by each item, in visual/verbal sexual victimisation (figure 1).
 

How many young people have been victims of sexual harassment of this type? Nearly 7 out of every 10 adolescents affirmed they have been victims of it, although in the majority of cases (53.6%) it was occasional; in other words, once or twice in the last two months. In contrast, 1 in every 10 affirmed that this has happened to them frequently; in other words, more than twice per month (13.8%). And how many adolescent boys and girls played a role in these behaviours? A total of 57.7% stated that they have demonstrated these behaviours towards their peers in the last two months, occasionally or frequently. 

Physical sexual harassment is less frequent among adolescents; yet, nearly 4 out of every 10 adolescents (34.9%) affirmed that their peers “have hugged them with sexual intentions when this was unwanted” or “have touched, grabbed or pinched them with sexual intentions”. Offered below is the prevalence of the most frequent items of physical victimisation between boys and girls (figure 2). In all cases, the prevalence among girls is higher than that observed among boys, reaching double in the item “Force someone to do something sexual”.
 

In contrast, recognising that one has played a role in this type of behaviour is more difficult. Nearly 2 out of every 10 adolescents affirmed that they had demonstrated these conducts towards their peers (18.9%). Figure 3 shows the prevalence rates among boys and girls. In aggression, boys appear to be more involved than girls, with their involvement reaching triple in the item “Force someone to do something sexual”.
 

The inclusion of new technologies in the everyday lives of adolescents and young people transfers aggressive and sexual harassment behaviours to cyberspace. Although this type of harassment is still less frequent than face-to-face sexual harassment of a visual/verbal type, it is more prevalent than face-to-face harassment of a physical type. In any case, the values observed were not inconsiderable. Nearly half of the students that took part in the study (46.6%) suffered some form of online sexual harassment, and 33.7% affirmed that they had sexually harassed their peers.

Figure 4 describes the prevalence of victimisation of the behaviours analysed within the virtual context. Of these, “Talking about sex online when you did not want to” and “Insinuating or asking that you send photos of some part of your body without clothing” were the most frequent sexual harassment behaviours suffered in cyberspace. 
 

International and national studies show that girls, in comparison with boys, run a greater risk of suffering sexual harassment experiences. The same results have been obtained in this study: girls suffered more physical and online sexual harassment over the last two months than boys, but not more verbal/visual sexual harassment. In contrast, boys were more involved as perpetrators of sexual aggression in all types of sexual violence: visual/verbal, physical and virtual, both occasional and frequent. 

The figures obtained based on this survey snapshot are consistent with data from previous studies. Thus, for example, that by Hill and Kearl (2011) concluded that 44% and 30% of adolescents of both sexes interviewed were the subject of sexual harassment face-to-face and online, respectively. Similarly, national studies gave figures of 60% for visual/verbal sexual harassment; of 34% for physical sexual harassment (Vega-Gea et al., 2016), and of 25% for online sexual harassment (Sánchez et al., 2017). In this regard, the tendency observed in this study indicates that the prevalence rates are stabilised, although a slight increase is observed in visual/verbal forms and in virtual sexual harassment. Moreover, it is important to take into account that these aggressions are very widespread among the adolescent population, but that they occur occasionally, which reflects a style of interaction that is crude, coarse and harmful, above all for girls. 

This article has analysed the prevalence of face-to-face and online sexual harassment, among adolescent girls and boys. The prevalence figures indicate that sexual harassment is present in their lives and that both sexes recognise this. Furthermore, the previous data available also demonstrate this. In comparison with previous national and international studies, figures for sexual harassment among adolescents have remained stable, although a growing tendency is observed. Therefore, despite the efforts made by different public and private organisations, sexual harassment continues to be a social and public health problem that must be addressed by the authorities competent in the protection of children and adolescents. 

The “Virtual-PRO” programme was born with the aim of preventing these conducts among the adolescent population, based on the analysis of such conducts, of their causes, of the impact that they have upon victims, and on reflection on the most adequate strategies for dealing with them. In its development, virtual reality is used for work with pupils, given that this favours increased sensitization to these aggressions and the raising of awareness regarding this phenomenon, both fundamental processes for reducing sexual harassment among adolescents.

HILL, C., and H. KEARL (2011): Crossing the Line: Sexual Harassment at School.

SÁNCHEZ, V., N. MUÑOZ-FERNÁNDEZ, and E. VEGA-GEA (2017): "Peer sexual cybervictimization in adolescents: Development and validation of a scale", International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology, 17(2), 171-179.

VEGA-GEA, E., R. ORTEGA-RUIZ, and V. SÁNCHEZ (2016): "Peer sexual harassment in adolescence: Dimensions of the sexual harassment survey in boys and girls", International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology, 16(1), 47-57.