Purpose: This study was undertaken to identify the relationship between the awareness of sexual harassment of university students and their coping with sexual harassment and to confirm the mediating effect of empathy. Methods: This was a cross-section...
Purpose: This study was undertaken to identify the relationship between the awareness of sexual harassment of university students and their coping with sexual harassment and to confirm the mediating effect of empathy. Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey enrolling 150 college students (Men: 74, Women: 76) who voluntarily participated in the survey at a university located in C-city, Chungcheongnam-do. Data were collected from May 10 to 30, 2022 through a ques-tionnaire comprising 93 questions. Data were analyzed by frequency and percentage, mean and standard deviation, in-dependent t-test, one-way ANOVA, and Pearson’s correlation using the SPSS/Win 23.0 program. Mediation analysis was also conducted using Hayes’ PROCESS macro (Model 4). Result: The awareness of sexual harassment in university stu-dents showed variations according to gender, grade, major, and whether they had experienced sexual harassment. The awareness of sexual harassment correlated with coping with sexual harassment and cognitive empathy. Cognitive empathy was found to have a mediating effect on the relationship between the awareness of sexual harassment and coping with sexual harassment. Conclusion: To improve university students’ awareness of sexual harassment and effective coping, it is necessary to develop and implement programs to improve the characteristics and cognitive empathy of university students.