menu_open Columnists
We use cookies to provide some features and experiences in QOSHE

More information  .  Close

When the Narrative Flips: Men As Victims of Harassment

47 0
21.06.2026

In the modern world, social media plays a crucial role in shaping public opinion. Out-of-context clips and any post can trigger the public within hours. The public, without checking all facts and figures, believes in those posts and videos and starts reposting on their accounts. Hashtags and online campaigns play an essential role in spreading awareness about sexual violence. Sometimes, wrong information with hashtags can also spread and create chaos and distress in public.

One of the most persistent narratives on sexual harassment is that men are perpetrators and women are victims. Some people say that this perception is rooted in the reality that women have suffered very much from physical and mental violence. But the reality is that women and men both face sexual harassment and violence on an equal basis; the issue is that harassment against men doesn’t make the news headlines. We can say that this is media propaganda that tilted the narrative in favor of women while turning a blind eye to violence against men. Yes, there is news regarding men facing harassment by men, but flipping a coin presents another narrative that men are also facing harassment by women.

As far as justice and accountability are concerned, online activism is very much essential. Raising the question of whether some experiences, such as harassment of men by women, have become so important. If the objective of having a fair discussion about harassment is to be achieved, then it is necessary to accept that men also experience harassment from women. Men have to be recognized as victims of women’s harassment. Not always is a man involved in harassment; sometimes, a woman is also a perpetrator of harassment against men. There is no need to diminish the suffering of women by recognizing men as victims; rather, it will introduce a principle that should apply to every person: All victims should be heard, no matter what their gender is.

The Missing Perspectives: Men as Victims

According to research, 73% of men have faced sexual harassment, of which 70% are victims of harassment by women. In social media, people, especially feminists, post frequently that women can’t be comfortable in a room full of men, but men can feel comfortable in a room full of women. From this post, they highlight a narrative that only men can be perpetrators rather than women.........

© Paradigm Shift