A recent online survey conducted by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill evaluated how many surgeons had experienced sexual harassment in the previous 12 months. The online survey was answered by over 1,000 surgeons and, out of that number, 744 of them were women. Therefore, 18 percent of the women contacted answered the survey, whereas only one percent of the male surgeons contacted answered the survey. The survey results found that 51 percent of the respondents worked in an academic institution, 15 percent were in private practice, 13 percent were at community medical centers, and 19 percent were in other settings.
The responses showed that 58 percent of women surgeons had experienced what they defined as sexual harassment in the previous 12 months preceding the survey. Out of those responses, about 53 percent of the sexual harassment incidents were verbal or physical conduct and 23 percent of the incidents were unwanted sexual advances or physical conduct. Additionally, about 10 percent of those incidents were about sexual orientation. Twenty-five percent of men said they experienced sexual harassment as well.
Reporting Sexual Harassment
One aspect of the survey found that 84 percent of the incidents went unreported. Additionally, they found that medical residents and interns were more than twice as likely to experience sexual harassment. Additionally, respondents reported that they did not report the harassment because of fear of retribution or being dismissed. Employees should be aware that sexual harassment and retaliation are both unlawful. Retaliation can occur and when employees experience this behavior, they should report it to their employers right away.
Sexual Harassment and Choosing a Field
A prevalence of sexual harassment in the workplace may start to raise questions of whether a specific field is able to attract the best people in the field, since some may be discouraged from pursing a field due to their pattern of sexual harassment. Therefore, medical schools should be just as concerned about these statistics as employers.
Philadelphia Sexual Harassment Lawyers at The Gold Law Firm P.C. Protect the Rights of Those Sexually Harassed in the Workplace
Discrimination and sexual harassment at work can happen in many different forms, including retaliation. The Philadelphia sexual harassment lawyers at The Gold Law Firm P.C. can evaluate your situation and provide advice for the next steps. Contact us online or call us at 215-569-1999 for a free case evaluation. Located in Philadelphia and Pennsauken, New Jersey, we serve clients from the surrounding areas, including Bucks County, Chester County, Delaware County, Montgomery County, and throughout South Jersey.
