If you thought sexual harassment happened only to women, then it is time to think again, a recent survey has revealed.

According to research by the Kowloon Federation of Associations (KFA), while both sexes show an equally high awareness of the subject, in Hong Kong, more men (30.8 percent) than women (19 percent) have suffered verbal harassment such as sexual joking, indiscrete conversations or explicit comments about their figures.

For both men and women, 67 percent of victims said they had reported such incidents.

Being forced to view obscene materials was shown to be a bigger problem among men (15.4 percent) than women (1.7 percent), while undesired physical contact was reported by 46 percent of the men polled.

"The results show an increase in sexual harassment faced by Hong Kong men in recent years," Yolanda Ng, from the committee of Women's Coalition of the KFA, said.

"Although some report their cases, many don't because they believe no one will believe them."

This reluctance might explain why 23 percent of the men polled said that they thought it was "pointless" reporting incidents to the police.

Male pride also makes it hard for some men to admit they have been a victim of harassment, Ng said.

Henry Tang, a 29-year-old human resources professional, said he had had an unpleasant experience on a bus.

"It was pretty empty on the upper deck but a young man sat down next to me," Tang said.

"Some minutes later his fingers started to wander up my thigh, to see if I'd respond. I stood up and left."

While the harasser caused Tang no further trouble, he said the incident left him upset for a long while.

Zach Wat, a 27-year-old interior designer, said he had experienced similar incidents.

"I've been groped by a man at the gym, and by a female boss at work," Wat said.

"It's hard to tell people about it without sounding like a loser or a liar. They might think I'm a sissy or I'm making it up."

(China Daily September 5, 2007)