El acoso sexual en las Instituciones de Educación Superior caso: Departamento de Ciencias Básicas de la Escuela Politécnica Nacional - EPN

Abstract

The present investigation intends to identify and characterize the presence of sexual harassment against or among the students of the Department of Basic Sciences (DCB) of the National Polytechnic School (EPN), as well as to know what are the institutional actions of the EPN are in relation to situations of sexual harassment and characterize such situations. This mixed type research is supported in the quantitative phase in the application of the Interpersonal Relationships in Universities (CRIU) survey, which is an instrument developed and validated for the context of Ecuador's Higher Education Institutions by a group of experts from the Salesian Polytechnic University in conjunction with other universities in the country. For other part, the qualitative phase relied on the results of the opinions expressed in the surveys carried out on the majority of students that make up the DCB of the EPN. The investigation showed the following main results: a) The presence of the 22 situations characterized as sexual harassment in the questionnaire applied. b) The greatest number of victims of acts of sexual harassment were among students. c) The EPN does not have its own protocol for assistance to victims in case of sexual harassment; However, they are working on making one. d) The majority of victims of sexual harassment situations agree that these acts should be reported to university authorities and legal instances that protect the integrity of the affected party through the exercise of their rights, although there is a considerable percentage that states that they should only be reported in serious cases and not from a moderate level.