Aussie women not so sensitive to male conduct

ONLY one in four Australian women are offended by wolf-whistling in the street.

New research out this morning from Curtin University and Edith Cowan University has highlighted women’s different perceptions of what is unacceptable behaviour, depending on where they live.

Aussies are less likely to consider wolf-whistling in the street, being asked for sex at a social event and a man overstaying his welcome in their home as unacceptable behaviour than women overseas.

The study asked 1734 female undergraduate students in 12 countries about forced sexual contact, physical harm and death threats as well as being asked out as friends, receiving gifts and a stranger striking up a conversation.

Lead author Dr Lorraine Sheridan, from the School of Psychology at Curtin University, said the research found most female undergraduates agreed on the most overt inappropriate behaviours but there was little consensus about less explicit actions.

Co-author Dr Adrian Scott, from Edith Cowan University, said 64 per cent of Australian women surveyed believed a man ‘visiting places because he knows you may be there’ was inappropriate, compared to 7 per cent of Italian women and 6 per cent of Egyptian women.

“These results suggest that culture may take precedence over personal interpretations of the unacceptability of intrusive behaviour that is not obviously harmful or benign in nature,” Dr Scott said.