Chapter 4 - Working without fear: Results of the Sexual Harassment National Telephone Survey (2012)

Working without fear:

Results of the Sexual Harassment National Telephone Survey

• Back to Contents
• Foreword
• Abbreviations
• Chapter 1: Executive summary
• Chapter 2: Sexual harassment national telephone survey 2012
• Chapter 3: Sexual harassment
• Chapter 4: Prevalence
  • 4.1 Lifetime
  • 4.2 Workplaces in the past five years
  • 4.3 Understanding of sexual harassment
  • 4.4 Bystanders
  • 4.5 Conclusion
• Chapter 5: Nature and characteristics
• Chapter 6: Prevention and response
• How to make a complaint and get more information
• Endnotes
• Appendix 1: 2012 National Survey questionnaire
• Figures

Chapter 4: Prevalence

Chapter 4 examines the prevalence of sexual harassment in Australia. It begins by identifying the prevalence of sexual harassment across individuals’ lifetime and then focuses on the prevalence of sexual harassment in Australian workplaces in the past five years. It also measures understanding of sexual harassment and awareness of sexual harassment incidents involving other people in the workplace.

In order to determine prevalence, respondents were read a simplified version of the legal definition of sexual harassment (see section 3.1) and asked to disclose whether or not they had experienced such harassment.

Respondents who indicated that they had been sexually harassed in the workplace during the past five years were read a list of behaviours likely to constitute unlawful sexual harassment and asked to disclose which of the behaviours they had experienced.

Respondents who reported that they had not been sexually harassed were also asked to indicate whether or not they had experienced any of the specified behaviours. This was to ensure that the prevalence rate captured those respondents who have been subjected to behaviour likely to constitute unlawful sexual harassment, but who may not consider their experiences to be harassment based on the legal definition.

As explained in section 2.4(a) above, there have been slight changes across the different waves of the national telephone survey in how prevalence of sexual harassment in the workplace has been calculated. Care should therefore be exercised when comparing the prevalence data in chapter 4 with the prevalence data reported in previous surveys.

4.1 Lifetime

Just over one in five (21%) people in Australia has been sexually harassed since the age of 15 (based on the legal definition of sexual harassment). This represents a slight increase in the lifetime prevalence of sexual harassment since the last survey was conducted in 2008 (20%),¹⁸ indicating that sexual harassment is an ongoing and common occurrence.

Women (33%) were significantly more likely than men (9%) to be sexually harassed in their lifetime, continuing the trend from 2008 (32% of women and 8% of men).

Figure 1: Prevalence of lifetime sexual harassment (legal definition) (by survey wave) Base: 2012: All respondents (n=2,002); men (n=966); female (n=1,036)

A majority (68%) of those respondents who had been sexually harassed said the harassment occurred in the workplace, a slight increase from 2003 (65%) and 2008 (65%). Women (72%) were more likely than men (51%) to be sexually harassed in the workplace.

A small proportion of respondents said they had been sexually harassed in an educational institution (7%) or in the provision of goods and services (5%). Almost one in five (19%) respondents said the harassment occurred ‘elsewhere’ (eg at a public venue, on public transport).

4.2 Workplaces in the past five years

Approximately one in five (21%) people aged 15 years and older has experienced sexual harassment in the workplace in the past five years (based on both the legal and behavioural definitions of sexual harassment). Women (25%) were much more likely than men (16%) to be sexually harassed in the workplace during this period.

Figure 2: Prevalence of sexual harassment in the workplace in the past five years (legal and behavioural definitions) (by sex) Base: All respondents (n=2,002); men (n=966); female (n=1,036)

The 2008 National Survey found that 4% of the population had experienced sexual harassment in the workplace during the preceding five year period, based on the legal definition. In addition, it found that 22% of respondents had experienced behaviours likely to constitute unlawful sexual harassment, even though they reported that they had not been sexually harassed after being read the legal definition. These results were not combined, however, preventing a direct comparison of prevalence with the results of the 2012 National Survey, as reported above.¹⁹

It is possible, though, to compare the prevalence data for the 2008 National Survey with the stand-alone data for the legal and behavioural definitions for the 2012 National Survey. The 2012 National Survey found that 3% of the population had experienced sexual harassment in the workplace during the past five years, based on the legal definition. Additionally, 18% of respondents had experienced sexual harassment behaviours.

Whilst these stand-alone results suggest that there has been a slight decrease in the prevalence of sexual harassment in the workplace in the past five years, they also indicate that there has been limited progress in reducing rates of sexual harassment in workplaces across Australia.

4.3 Understanding of sexual harassment

Respondents who said they had not been sexually harassed based on the legal definition in the Sex Discrimination Act were asked whether they had experienced specified behaviours that are likely to constitute unlawful sexual harassment. These behaviours included inappropriate staring or leering, sexually suggestive comments or jokes, sexually explicit emails or text messages, and requests or pressure for sex or other sexual acts (see section 5.1).

In addition to ensuring an accurate incidence of sexual harassment, this approach was adopted to ensure that understanding of sexual harassment could be measured.

Of those respondents who said they had not been sexually harassed based on the legal definition, 18% went on to report experiencing one or more behaviours that are likely to constitute sexual harassment under the Sex Discrimination Act.

There has been only a slight improvement in awareness of what constitutes sexual harassment under the Act since the 2008 National Survey, when 22% of respondents who said they had not been sexually harassed based on the legal definition went on to report experiencing behaviours that are likely to constitute sexual harassment.²⁰ This suggests a need for better community education about sexual harassment and the right not to be sexually harassed, including in the workplace.

Awareness of what constitutes sexual harassment under the Sex Discrimination Act was slightly higher amongst men, with fewer men (15%) than women (21%) reporting sexual harassment behaviours after stating that they had not been sexually harassed when the legal definition of sexual harassment was read to them.

Figure 3: Prevalence of sexual harassment in the workplace in the past five years (behavioural definition) (by sex) Base: Respondents who did not report experiencing sexual harassment in the workplace after being read the legal definition (n=1,931); men (n=953); women (n=978)

4.4 Bystanders

In addition to identifying the prevalence of sexual harassment in the workplace in the past five years, the 2012 National Survey measured ‘bystander’ prevalence in the workplace.

In the 2012 National Survey, the definition of bystanders included individuals who witnessed sexual harassment in the workplace firsthand as well as individuals who were informed about sexual harassment subsequently. In contrast, the definition of ‘bystander’ was limited in the 2003 and 2008 National Surveys to individuals who witnessed sexual harassment in the workplace firsthand.

The decision to use a more inclusive definition in the 2012 National Survey was motivated by a concern to identify the overall number of individuals affected by sexual harassment in the workplace. The decision was also based on recent research conducted by the Commission on bystander approaches to sexual harassment in the workplace.²²

• The hidden nature of sexual harassment may mean that individuals are more likely to hear about sexual harassment, rather than witness it firsthand.
  A more inclusive definition that encompasses bystanders who hear about sexual harassment is therefore important to measuring accurately the number of bystanders who are affected by sexual harassment.
• Research suggests that individuals often fail to distinguish their personal observations from the suggestions of others.
• Sexual harassment can have negative consequences for bystanders, regardless of how they come to know about the harassment.
• A hostile work environment can be caused both by witnessing and hearing about sexual harassment, in addition to experiencing harassment personally.
• As a majority of bystanders take some form of action to prevent or reduce the harm of sexual harassment (see section 6.4), accurately measuring the prevalence of bystanders is important to empowering them to take action and enlisting their assistance effectively.

It is difficult to say whether the prevalence of bystanders would have been higher in in the 2003 and 2008 National Surveys if respondents had been asked whether or not they had heard about sexual harassment in the workplace. However, similarities between the findings of the current and previous surveys regarding bystanders (see below) could mean that bystander prevalence is in fact lower in the 2012 National Survey given that it includes witnessing and hearing about sexual harassment.

All respondents, regardless of whether or not they reported experiencing sexual harassment, were asked if they were aware of individuals who had been sexually harassed in their current workplace in the past five years.

Thirteen per cent (13%) of respondents said that they were aware of others who had been sexually harassed in their current workplace.

This is almost the same as in 2008 (12%) and 2003 (14%).

Figure 4: Prevalence of bystanders in the workplace in the past five years (by survey wave) Base: 2012: All respondents (n=2,002)

Respondents who indicated that they had been sexually harassed in the workplace in the past five years (ie targets) were also asked if they were aware of anyone else who had been harassed in their workplace during that time.

Nearly half (45%) of those respondents said they were aware of someone else who had been sexually harassed in the same workplace. This represents a small decrease from 2008 (47%), which followed a larger decrease from the 2003 (58%). The higher awareness of sexual harassment of others in the workplace among targets of sexual harassment could be a result of targets becoming aware of others who have been sexually harassed when they seek support or advice from
co-workers.

Women (46%) and men (44%) reported similar levels of awareness of sexual harassment of others in their workplace in the 2012 National Survey.

In addition to calculating bystander prevalence, those respondents who had been sexually harassed in the workplace in the past five years (ie targets) and were aware of someone else who had been sexually harassed in the same workplace were asked to identify how common sexual harassment was in the workplace at the time they were harassed.

The majority (71%) of those respondents said sexual harassment was common or that it occurred sometimes in their workplace. Men (73%) were slightly more likely than women (70%) to say sexual harassment was common.

Figure 5: Perceived frequency of sexual harassment (by sex)   Bases: Respondents aware of someone else being sexually harassed in the same workplace where they had experienced sexual harassment (n=190); men (n=68); women (n=122)

4.5 Conclusion

The 2012 National Survey provides clear evidence that there has been little progress over the past five years in reducing the prevalence of sexual harassment in Australia. Compounding this concern are the findings that a number of people are bystanders to incidents of sexual harassment in the workplace, and understanding about sexual harassment remains limited, with only marginal improvements in understanding since the 2008 National Survey.

The 2012 National Survey does not provide clear reasons as to why progress has stalled. What is clear, however, is that there is a real need for leadership and a genuine commitment from government, unions and all sectors of the Australian workforce to prevent sexual harassment and ensure the safety and security of all employees while at work.

Without immediate and meaningful progress in this area, there will continue to be significant physical, mental and socio-economic costs for targets and bystanders of sexual harassment. These costs will, in turn, continue to pose significant risks for business, including in the form of productivity losses or costs resulting from employee turnover, reduced morale and absenteeism and potential legal action, injury to reputation and loss of shareholder confidence.

The 2012 National Survey demonstrates a clear need for effective prevention strategies to be implemented in Australian workplaces. Workplace prevention strategies must be framed broadly and incorporate components on the rights and responsibilities of employees and bystanders. They must include policies prohibiting sexual harassment in the workplace, training on sexual harassment (both upon commencement of employment and on a regular and ongoing basis), and widespread education about sexual harassment in the workplace and avenues of redress.

These strategies need to be grounded in a broader and highly visible community education campaign to improve awareness about sexual harassment and the rights of employees not to be subjected to such treatment, particularly in the workplace.

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