Experiences of sexual harassment among men from Tabasco

Abstract

Sexual violence has multiple manifestations; some symbolic, others explicit. Sexual harassment is stated as
“conduct of a sexual nature such as physical touching and advances, remarks of a sexual nature, display of
pornography, and sexual demands, verbal or in fact. This type of conduct can constitute a health and safety
problem” (CEDAW, 1992). Although it is generally associated with men towards women, in this case situations
are described in which situations are experienced between men that can be classified as bullying and harassment,
which can occur in various situations and in private and public contexts. To obtain the information, a qualitative
cross-sectional investigation was carried out where, through interviews or informal conversations with five
men from a rural town in Tabasco, Mexico, data was obtained that was analyzed with the narrative technique
to report violent events between them. The main finding is that -among men and during coexistence situations
where alcohol is consumed- there are acts that can range from phrases, looks, touching and unwanted rubbing
that are classified as sexual violence, which have been socialized and internalized as a pattern of male chatter
that -later- can be taken to other spaces where other groups such as women, adolescents and even children are
attacked, reproducing systematic violence.