The 3 groups who suffer the most harassment in academic medicine

Atlanta-based Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University researchers found women, minorities and LGBTQ people in academic medicine experience higher rates of sexual harassment, cyber incivility and negative workplace climates — leading to worse mental health.

The study, published June 6 in Journal of the American Medical Association, surveyed 830 faculty members who received National Institutes of Health career development awards between 2006 and 2009 and remained in academia. 

Here are four findings:

  1. Of women, 71.9 percent reported experiencing gender harassment during the past two years, compared to 44.9 percent of men.

  2. Women rated both general and diversity workplace climate as wore than men and reported forms of incivility, sexist comments and sexual harassment when using social media professionally.

  3. Of LGBTQ individuals, 13 percent reported sexual harassment while using social media professionally, compared to 2.5 percent of those who identified as cisgender or heterosexual.

  4. Individuals who were part of minority races rated the diversity climate more negatively than white respondents, and reported certain forms of cyber incivility and racist comments when using social media professionally.

"The highest rates of sexual harassment occur in organizations that are perceived to tolerate such behavior," the authors wrote. "Organizations that proactively develop, disseminate and enforce sexual harassment policies are least likely to harbor such behaviors. These efforts must go beyond formalistic and symbolic legal compliance to engage workers from the ground up and leaders from the top down to ensure meaningful culture change."

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