Methods against sexual harassment need to be grounded in research
The problem of sexual harassment in the Nordic labour market is extensive. At the same time, there is a lack of research in the area, and prevention work is not based enough on research results. This is the conclusion of a new study by the Swedish Secretariat for Gender Research at the University of Gothenburg.
Gender-based violence and sexual harassment still occur in the Nordic labour market, despite decades of preventive work. In the study Preventing Sexual Harassment in Nordic Working Life: Contesting Concepts and Reimagining Research, researchers Fredrik Bondestam, director, and Angelica Simonsson, senior analyst, at the Swedish Secretariat for Gender Research at the University of Gothenburg, have reviewed and analysed research on sexual harassment in the Nordic labour market. The study focuses in particular on theoretical, methodological and practical results and challenges. Based on a Nordic systematic research review, the researchers have also developed a framework for bridging existing boundaries between policy and practice. The study points to the need for more research on prevention of sexual harassment in the workplace.
‘Rather than continuing to make recommendations based on research that is primarily concerned with exposure to sexual harassment, more research is needed at the organisational level on what preventive work against sexual harassment involves in practice,’ says Angelica Simonsson.
The main findings from the review of the research field covering sexual harassment, prevention and the Nordic region are:
- There are only a handful of peer-reviewed research articles on sexual harassment and prevention in the Nordic labour market;
- Existing research clearly shows that sexual harassment is a pervasive problem in Nordic working life and has negative consequences for both individuals and organisations;
- The prevalence of sexual harassment is often studied in relation to different working conditions for women and men;
- Prevention is repeatedly mentioned as an important aspect to be pursued and developed in both research and practice, but without a clear link to research findings as such;
- Organisational aspects of sexual harassment are repeatedly highlighted as essential for prevention, but the content of these aspects is not explicitly defined and discussed.
Read the report in the journal Societies: Preventing Sexual Harassment in Nordic Working Life: Contesting Concepts and Reimagining Research
