Sexual harassment is a crucial public health issue among adolescents. In order to develop school health promotion programs, there is a need to involve adolescents themselves paying particular attention to their perceptions, beliefs, attitudes and practices. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore the adolescents’ perceptions about sexual harassment as well as the ways it could be prevented. Four focus groups were conducted during an online “camp” in autumn 2021, facilitated by members of SHEHAP project research team. Participants were secondary school students from Finland, Greece, Lithuania and Portugal. The qualitative data was analyzed using content analysis. Concerning how participants perceive sexual harassment, the themes that emerged were: physically expressed sexual harassment; verbally expressed sexual harassment; virtually expressed sexual harassment; violation of self-determination. Virtual environment; school environment; public environment; familiar environment, were identified as the places where sexual harassment may occur. Finally, in regard to the participants’ views on the prevention of sexual harassment, the following themes emerged: youth education; adult education aiming teachers and parents; professional, peer and family support; official consequences; health education methods. The findings of the current study can be used for the development of school-based programs aiming to prevent sexual harassment among adolescents.
Purpose: The global rise in mental health challenges among adolescents has led to the development of targeted interventions, including those designed to promote young people’s understanding and awareness of mental health. This systematic review aims to identify and evaluate interventions implemented among secondary school students with the goal of enhancing mental health literacy, and to assess their effectiveness in achieving this outcome. Methods: This review was partially aligned with the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Studies were retrieved from four electronic databases—CINAHL Complete, PubMed, Academic Search Elite, and ERIC—and supplemented by a limited number of relevant studies identified outside the systematic search. The analysis focused on the content, delivery, design, evaluation methods, and outcomes of mental health literacy (MHL) interventions conducted in secondary schools internationally. Results: A total of 16 articles met the inclusion criteria. The articles described a variety of different MHL interventions (n = 12). The findings indicate that school-based MHL interventions have a positive impact on students’ knowledge and understanding of mental health, but stigma reduction demonstrated less consistent effects. Study population, country, intervention content, delivery, methods, outcome measures, sample sizes and participants’ age range varied notably across the studies. Conclusions: Based on the evidence synthesized in this review, school-based MHL interventions appear to be effective and may serve as a valuable component in broader efforts to promote mental health in adolescence. These findings reinforce existing evidence and provide a foundation for practical implications, but future research is highly recommended for a more solid base of evidence.