Gender and Relationship Dynamics in Target-Reported Nightlife Sexual Harassment: An Exploratory Study of Perpetrator Characteristics

Little is known about the perpetration of sexual harassment in nightlife settings. This exploratory study examined target-reported experiences of sexual harassment, focusing on the perceived gender of the perpetrator and the target–perpetrator relationship across three harassment types. An online survey was used to examine self-reported experiences of sexual harassment among Australian adults (N = 958, 61.3% female). Nearly half (48.7%) of participants reported experiencing nightlife sexual harassment within the past 12 months. Verbal sexual harassment was the most common type of harassment reported by women (43.5%) and gender diverse (57.5%) participants. Across all harassment types, perpetrators were most often male (79.0%–87.9%) and strangers (62.8%–88.7%). However, male targets reported a more even gender distribution of perpetrators, particularly for verbal sexual harassment (50.0% male, 44.4% female) and pressured sexual contact (49.0% female, 45.1% male). Men were more likely than women to know the perpetrator in incidents of physical (χ2 = 7.54, p < .001) and verbal sexual harassment (χ2 = 22.71, p < .001). These findings suggest that patterns of perpetration vary by harassment type and target gender. Insights into how harassment patterns differ can inform targeted interventions, particularly in policy design, staff training, and bystander engagement.