University:
Boston University
Course:
CAS SO 203 | Introduction to Sociological Theories
Academic year:

2023
Views:

400

Pages:

19
Author:

Kasazami2c24

Plans for the Presentation • Brief overview of the origins and background on the study • Summary of the report findings and recommendations • Response to the report and next steps following the report’s release • Discussion with you all about the report and about how you envision your institution implementing the report’s recommendations Study Statement of Task The Committee will undertake a study of the influence of sexual harassment in academia on the career advancement of women in the scientific, technical, and medical workforce, which will include the following: • Review of the research on the extent to which women in the fields of science, engineering, and medicine are victimized by sexual harassment on college and university campuses, in research labs and field sites, at hospitals/medical centers, and in other academic environments; • Examination of existing information on the extent to which sexual harassment in academia negatively impacts the recruitment, retention, and advancement of women pursuing scientific, engineering, technical, and medical careers, with comparative evidence drawn from other sectors such as the military, government, and the private sector; • Identification and analysis of policies, strategies, and practices that have been the most successful in preventing and addressing sexual harassment in these settings. Key findings • There is extensive sexual harassment • Gender harassment is the most common form of sexual harassment • Sexual harassment undermines research integrity, reduces talent pool, and harms targets and bystanders • Legal compliance is necessary but not sufficient to reduce harassment • Changing climate and culture can prevent and effectively address sexual harassment Finding: Prevalence of Sexual Harassment Sexual harassment is common in academic science, engineering, and medicine. • Best available analysis to date shows that 50 percent of women faculty and staff in academia experience sexual harassment. • Student surveys at a couple universities shows that between 20-50 percent of students in science, engineering, and medicine experience sexual harassment from faculty or staff. Finding: Sexual harassment is common Example – Percent of women faculty/staff harassed by coworkers or supervisors at a large public university: Only Gender Harassment 37% 34% Gender Harassment + Unwanted Sexual Attention Only Unwanted Sexual Attention 4% 5% 20% All three types Not Harassed Finding: Sexual harassment is common (cont.) Findings: Race, Sexuality, and Gender Identity Women of color experience more harassment (sexual, racial/ethnic, or combination of the two) than white women, white men, and men of color do. Women of color often experience sexual harassment that includes racial harassment. Sexual- and gender-minority people experience more sexual harassment than heterosexual women do. Findings: Impact on Targets and Bystanders Sexual harassment undermines women’s professional and educational attainment and mental and physical health. Sexual harassment has adverse effects that affect not only the targets of harassment but also bystanders, coworkers, workgroups, and entire organizations. Findings: Legal System Judicial interpretation of Title IX and Title VII has incentivized organizations to create policies, procedures, and training on sexual harassment that focus on symbolic compliance with current law and avoiding liability, and not on preventing sexual harassment. Title IX, Title VII, and case law reflect the inaccurate assumption that a target of sexual harassment will promptly report the harassment without worrying about retaliation. Findings: Predictors of Sexual Harassment Sexual harassment is most likely to take place in environments that are: • Male-dominated in number, leaders, and culture • Organizational tolerance of sexual harassment o Reporting is perceived as risky o Reports not taken seriously o Offenders escape sanction Organizational climate is, by far, the greatest predictor of the occurrence of sexual harassment. Key Recommendations Create diverse, inclusive, and respectful environments • Hiring and Promotion: Take explicit steps to achieve greater gender and racial equity in hiring and promotions, and improve the representation of women at every level. • Civility-Promotion: Combine anti-harassment efforts with programs to promote civility. • Interrupt and Intervene in Inappropriate Behavior: Utilize training approaches that develop skills among participants to interrupt and intervene when inappropriate behavior occurs, such as bystander intervention. • Training that Aims to Change Behavior: Training should focus on changing behavior, not on changing beliefs. Key Recommendations Diffuse the hierarchical and dependent relationship between trainees and faculty • Mentoring Networks: Adopt mentoring networks or committee-based advising that allows for a diversity of potential pathways for advice, funding, support, and informal reporting of harassment. • Independent Research Funding: Develop ways research funding can be provided to the trainee rather than just the principal investigator. Key Recommendations Provide support for targets • Access to Support Services: Provide means for the target of harassment to access support services (social services, health care, legal, career/professional) without making a formal report. • Alternative and Informal Reporting: Provide alternative and less formal means of recording information about the experience and reporting the experience. • Prevent Retaliation: Develop approaches to prevent the target from experiencing or fearing retaliation in academic settings. Key Recommendations Improve transparency and accountability • Clear Policies: Develop and share clear, accessible, and consistent policies on sexual harassment and standards of behavior. Make clear that people will be held accountable for violating the policies and using a range of escalating disciplinary consequences. • Transparency about Handling Reports: Be as transparent as possible about how the institution is handling reports of sexual harassment, such as by providing annual report. • Assess Climate: Utilize climate surveys to further investigate and address systemic sexual harassment. Key Recommendations Strive for strong and diverse leadership • Make it an Explicit Goal: make the reduction and prevention of sexual harassment an explicit goal of your leadership tenure. • Develop Leadership Skills: Support and facilitate leaders at every level in developing skills in leadership, conflict resolution, mediation, negotiation, and de-escalation, and ensure a clear understanding of policies and procedures for handling sexual harassment issues that is not just about protecting institutional liability. Action Collaborative on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education Main goals: 1. Raise awareness about sexual harassment, its consequences, and preventing it 2. Share and elevate evidence-based policies and strategies for reducing and preventing sexual harassment 3. Contribute to setting a research agenda, and gather and apply research results across institutions 4. Develop a standard for measuring progress toward reducing and preventing sexual harassment in higher education Working Groups Action Collaborative on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education Prevention Develop, implement, evaluate, and compile approaches for creating environments and organizational climates that prevent sexual harassment from occurring Response Develop, implement, evaluate, and compile approaches for responding to sexual harassment so that it contributes to creating an organizational climate that sexual harassment is not tolerated Remediation Develop, implement, evaluate, and compile approaches for systemic changes that can limit the damage caused by experiencing sexual harassment, and support those who experience it Evaluation Develop and implement approaches for measuring the campus climate and gauge effect of policies and actions implemented by other working groups; identify the most effective ways to measure and monitor the climate within an organization; and identify metrics for measuring progress across higher education Action Collaborative on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education Leadership Group • Providing overall guidance and direction for the Action Collaborative. • Includes leaders from the higher education community and leaders involved with the work of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Advisory Committee • Providing advice and ensuring that the effort is grounded in research, inclusive of diverse voices, reflective of the experiences of victims, and consistent with the findings and recommendations of the National Academies report.

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