Unwanted texts can be a form of sexual harassment, Al Aan survey finds

Emails, leering looks and unwanted touching were also flagged as unwelcome behaviour, the Al Aan TV survey found.

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ABU DHABI // Unwanted text messages can be a form of sexual harassment, a new survey suggests.

Suggestive emails, leering looks and unwanted touching were also flagged as inappropriate, uninvited and unwelcome behaviour of a sexual nature in a poll conducted by Al Aan TV.

Dana Shadid, Al Aan TV’s opinion polling analyst, said the survey suggested that sexual harassment can take on many forms.

“The poll results showed evidence that unwelcome attempts could be annoying. However, there is a thin line between an attempt and being pushy, which could be considered sexual harassment.

“Therefore it is important for people, especially women, to clearly voice being uncomfortable and to walk away.”

More than 1,300 respondents took part in the poll. They were asked whether sexual harassment was exclusively a physical act or whether the abuse took wider forms.

Al Aan TV regularly conducts opinion polls across Arab and Muslim countries to understand and reflect the outlook of consumers.

The polls are prepared by Al Aan TV and conducted by the international pollster YouGov or via Livestation, a live TV streaming platform.

Al Aan TV is available on Livestation and reaches about 99,000 viewers a month.

jbell@thenational.ae