Perceptions and personal experiences of unwanted attention among Portuguese male students |
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| Authors: | Filipa Pereira Marlene Matos Lorraine Sheridan Adrian J. Scott |
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| Affiliation: | 1. School of Psychology, University of Minho, Braga, Portugalfilipa.psi@hotmail.com;3. School of Psychology, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal;4. School of Psychology and Speech Pathology, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, Australia;5. Sellenger Centre, School of Law and Justice, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA, Australia |
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| Abstract: | The present study investigated male perceptions and personal experiences of ‘unwanted attention’ (UA), as well as possible associations between perceptions and personal experiences of UA. Ninety-one male college students, from five Portuguese universities, were asked to indicate which of a continuum of 47 behaviours represented UA. Although UA, stalking and harassment are rarely addressed in Portugal, male college students shared a clear understanding of what behaviours constituted UA, with the identification of four main categories of UA behaviours: ‘aggressive’, ‘threatening’, ‘classic’ and ‘dysfunctional attachment’. Almost all participants (96%) reported personal experiences of at least one UA behaviour. There was a minimal relationship between perceptions and personal experiences of the individual behaviours. The findings highlight the widespread risk of male victimisation and the need to legitimise male complaints. |
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| Keywords: | unwanted attention perceptions personal experiences male college students |
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