Agustin, Rosalie Y.

Baluyot, Mikael
Yute, Ariana
English 10 THZ
March 2, 2017
Research Proposal
Sexual Harassment Policies within the University of Santo Tomas

I. Rationale and Aims

Harassment takes many forms. Sexual harassment and the grounds on
which it stands to be defined is often a topic of discussion among
institutions and organizations alike. Those who may not be fully aware of its
context may not be able to distinguish an act of sexual harassment when it
happens to them. Similarly, people may not also be aware that they are
committing sexually offensive acts. Harassment may come from a stranger,
a relative, or from an entire institution. However promising the laws that
surround the issue may be, countless sexual harassment acts still
persistently occur on a daily basis. According to a survey conducted by the
Social Weather Stations (SWS) last February 2016, 1 out of 7 women
experience sexual harassment once every week, mostly in the hands of a
stranger. Reactions of victims after these incidents vary, with 1 out of 2
women doing nothing after being harassed. Most responses as to why these
women decide not to speak up about the incidents seem to either be that
they regard the incident as a minor occurrence, one that is negligible
enough, or that they were overcome with fear.
This research is geared towards the legal and psychological
implications of sexual harassment within academic environments,
particularly in the University of Santo Tomas. This research aims to provide
a clearer understanding of sexual harassment and a victim's credibility
aligned with the Anti-Harassment Act of 1995, among other established
acts. These serve as the backbone of this research as they consequently
affect the university's own policy, thereby influencing how the
administration handles related cases.
We aim to achieve a more thorough understanding of sexual
harassment within an academic setting by reviewing the aforementioned
case with scrutiny, the national act/s on which the university's policy is
anchored, relevant statistical data, and the manner by which the sexual
harassment case was addressed. Our study shall also involve the
examination of the statements released by the involved parties, the
administration, and the surrounding organizations inside the university.
Furthermore, we intend to take into consideration the factors that affected
the nature of the case's execution, and the alignment or misalignment of the
case with the primary structure of the administration's sexual harassment
policy. The findings of this research is intended to contribute to the analysis
of whether or not these established policies are just, sufficient, and
dependable. We also chose to focus on the recent case in order to verify its
efficiency, or lack thereof, in contemporary society.

II. Research Context

An issue regarding a sexual harassment case involving two students
from the University of Santo Tomas has recently surfaced and has become a
fierce topic in social media, spurring various reactions from those who were
involved as well as those who have only read and followed the issue through
online statements and articles. However, published online accounts are,
more often than not, questionable or insufficient. Social media as we know
it has become an avenue for unreliable data that magnetizes misconceived
reviews and claims. This pushes us to gain a more coherent understanding
of the events that transpired by looking at the foundations on which the
issue lies, then analyzing how it affected the situation. Due to the
confidentiality of the case and the disclosure of each partys privacy,
gathered information might be limited. Despite so, statements from student-
organizations, members of the student body, among others, remain as
credible information that may aid in our understanding of the case.

III. Tentative Research Questions

a) What is sexual harassment?

Sexual harassment may be defined differently depending on which
context it is derived from. We intend to answer this question in its broadest
sense through established psychological researches in order to provide the
reader a more comprehensive idea of sexual harassment, its forms and
implications.

b) What are the policies regarding sexual harassment in the Philippines?

How do these policies determine an act as sexually offensive?
We plan to further narrow down this definition by analyzing The Anti-
Harassment Act of 1995, among other established policies in the
Philippines, and deriving the state's definition of a "sexually offensive act".
These shall serve as the foundations of this research, as all cases are
administered according to these national regulations. Thorough analysis of
these texts will enable us to determine the gravity of the concept, and shall
aid in providing readers more concise research findings. Defining sexual
harassment within the context of a nationally established act is critical, as it
provides the basis by which other institutions build their own regulations.

c) How is sexual harassment defined within an academic setting? What are

the universitys policies regarding sexual harassment?
To more clearly understand how academic administrations handle
sexual harassment cases, we must study their particular policies. Although
derived from a national act, respective university policies may still vary or
contain distinct details.
 d) What was the case about? How did the university's administration
address it?
The events that took place in the incident, which will be taken from
the story published by the victims family member, will be thoroughly
studied. Furthermore, published responses of the university, student
organizations, and members of the student body towards the case shall also
be taken into account.

IV. Bibliography

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