MONDAY 19 AUGUST 2019

Male empathy makes men

more likely to victim-blame

sexually harassed women

The #MeToo movement prompted women across the world to share their share their experiences of sexual harassment (AFP/Getty)

ELEANOR BUSBY

EDUCATION CORRESPONDENT

Men are more likely to victim-blame women who are sexually harassed because they are more empathetic
to other men, research suggests.

Men and women show equal levels of empathy for female victims of sexual harassment – but men are far
more likely to see things from the male perpetrator’s point of view, two studies have found.

The researchers, from the universities of Exeter, Bath and Queensland, say the findings highlight a dark
side to empathy. Male students were asked to respond to a “clear-cut” example of sexual harassment – and

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