Victims of Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment continues to be a widespread yet largely unreported form of gender-based violence that poses ongoing threats to the safety, dignity and mental health of women across public, educational and work environments. Although India has introduced significant legal changes, including the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023 and the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, the continued prevalence of sexual harassment indicates persistent challenges in prevention, reporting, institutional accountability, and effective reinforcement. This review examines the different aspects of sexual harassment, including gender harassment, unwanted sexual attention and sexual coercion, and explores their effects on people’s mental, social, and legal well-being. The paper uses the crime data, legal provisions and important court landmark judgments to show how serious the problem is in India. It also looks at both immediate and long-term mental experiences by survivors, such as emotional distress, cognitive difficulties, behavioural changes, problems in relationships, anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), social isolation and reduced quality of life. Real examples from different situations, such as public transport, workplace and other institutional settings, are used to show how sexual harassment can look in different contexts and how factors like unequal power, poor management and social attitudes can contribute to ongoing victimization. The review highlights the need for a comprehensive and survivor-focused approach that includes strong legal action, mental health support that takes trauma into account, education on gender issues, making sure that institutions are accountable and raising public awareness.