An analysis of sexual harassment on Iranian campuses

Consensual sexual harassment on Iranian campuses is getting prevalent; however, this phenomenon has not been examined yet. This study contributed to the area and investigated the sexual relationships shapes, the behaviour of Iranian faculty members and female college students, and the consequences of sexual harassment for the victims, even in its consensual form. Hence, the phenomenological qualitative method was applied to explore the experiences of 10 female graduate students. The data were collected through online in-depth interviews due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In line with the theoretical framework proposed by Terpstra and Baker (1986), the interpretive phenomenological analysis revealed three themes of Onset, Sexual treatment, and After effects. According to the results, the basic needs of the females and the professors' leering seduced the females to enter into sexual relationships. The results also reflected the academic and psychological consequences of sexual harassment on the victims' future. The findings have some implications for higher education policymakers, university chancellors, and governmental officials.