Over the last few decades, research, activity, and funding has been devoted to improving the recruitment, retention, and advancement of women in the fields of science, engineering, and medicine. In recent years the diversity of those participating in these fields, particularly the participation of women, has improved and there are significantly more women entering careers and studying science, engineering, and medicine than ever before. However, as women increasingly enter these fields they face biases and barriers and it is not surprising that sexual harassment is one of these barriers.

Over thirty years the incidence of sexual harassment in different industries has held steady, yet now more women are in the workforce and in academia, and in the fields of science, engineering, and medicine (as students and faculty) and so more women are experiencing sexual harassment as they work and learn. Over the last several years, revelations of the sexual harassment experienced by women in the workplace and in academic settings have raised urgent questions about the specific impact of this discriminatory behavior on women and the extent to which it is limiting their careers.

Sexual Harassment of Women explores the influence of sexual harassment in academia on the career advancement of women in the scientific, technical, and medical workforce. This report reviews the research on the extent to which women in the fields of science, engineering, and medicine are victimized by sexual harassment and examines the 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. It also identifies and analyzes the policies, strategies and practices that have been the most successful in preventing and addressing sexual harassment in these settings.

Contents

• The National Academies of SCIENCES • ENGINEERING • MEDICINE
• COMMITTEE ON THE IMPACTS OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN ACADEMIA
• COMMITTEE ON WOMEN IN SCIENCE, ENGINEERING, AND MEDICINE
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• Summary
• 1. Introduction
  • STATEMENT OF TASK
  • DEFINING THE POPULATION
  • WORK OF THE STUDY COMMITTEE
  • COMMISSIONED WORK
  • ORGANIZATION OF THE REPORT
• 2. Sexual Harassment Research
  • DEFINITIONS OF KEY TERMS
  • RESEARCH METHODS USED TO EXAMINE SEXUAL HARASSMENT
  • PREVALENCE OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT
  • CHARACTERISTICS OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND SEXUALLY HARASSING ENVIRONMENTS
  • FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS
• 3. Sexual Harassment in Academic Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
  • THE ACADEMIC ENVIRONMENT IN SCIENCE, ENGINEERING, AND MEDICINE
  • SEXUAL HARASSMENT OF FACULTY AND STAFF
  • SEXUAL HARASSMENT OF TRAINEES
  • SEXUAL HARASSMENT WITHIN THE SCIENCES
  • SEXUAL HARASSMENT WITHIN MEDICINE
  • FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS
• 4. Job and Health Outcomes of Sexual Harassment and How Women Respond to Sexual Harassment
  • OUTCOMES OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT FOR INDIVIDUALS
  • OUTCOMES OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT FOR WITNESSES AND WORKGROUPS
  • COPING WITH SEXUAL HARASSMENT: WHY WOMEN ARE NOT LIKELY TO REPORT
  • OUTCOMES OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN ACADEMIC SCIENCE, ENGINEERING, AND MEDICINE
  • FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS
• 5. Legal and Policy Mechanisms for Addressing Sexual Harassment
  • LEGAL AND POLICY HISTORY
  • THE LEGAL REQUIREMENTS OF TITLE VII AND TITLE IX
  • THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE LEGAL REQUIREMENTS IN ACADEMIA
  • THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE LEGAL REQUIREMENT BY FEDERAL FUNDING AGENCIES
  • SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND POLICIES ON RESEARCH MISCONDUCT AND RESEARCH INTEGRITY
  • FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS
• 6. Changing the Culture and Climate in Higher Education
  • CREATING A DIVERSE, INCLUSIVE, AND RESPECTFUL ENVIRONMENT
  • DIFFUSING THE POWER STRUCTURE AND REDUCING ISOLATION
  • SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENTS FOR TARGETS
  • IMPROVING TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY
  • STRONG, DIVERSE, AND ACCOUNTABLE LEADERSHIP
  • EFFECTIVE SEXUAL HARASSMENT TRAINING
  • MEASURING PROGRESS AND INCENTIVIZING CHANGE
  • THE ROLE OF PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES AND ORGANIZATIONS THAT FACILITATE RESEARCH AND TRAINING
  • FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS
• 7. Findings, Conclusions, and Recommendations
  • FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS
  • RECOMMENDATIONS
• References
• APPENDIXES
  • Appendix A. Committee Biographical Information
  • Appendix B. Committee Meeting and Workshop Agendas
  • Appendix C. Qualitative Study of Sexual Harassment in Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
  • Appendix D. Consultant Report on the University of Texas System Campus Climate Survey

Suggested citation:

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2018. Sexual Harassment of Women: Climate, Culture, and Consequences in Academic Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: https://doi.org/10.17226/24994.