Sexual harassment in education and on the labor market

Sexual harassment is a major threat for an inclusive and productive study and work environment. We study the determinants and consequences of sexual harassment - any form of unwelcome verbal, non-verbal, or physical behavior with sexual undertones that intends to or does violate a person's dignity - in educational institutions and the labor market, for both male and female victims, their families, peers, and co-workers.

Sexual harassment poses a significant threat to an inclusive and productive study and work environment. Surprisingly, given the public interest in the issue and its potential gravity, there is limited causal evidence regarding the consequences of sexual harassment for victims or for firms where it occurs. In educational settings, we know almost nothing about the causes and consequences of sexual harassment.

Predominantly correlational studies suggest that victims experience deteriorating physical and mental health. A recent causal study documents the negative consequences of sexual harassment in the workplace for labour market careers in Sweden. The study showed that victims and witnesses were more likely to leave their current workplace, which results in costly career disruptions for individuals. They are also likely to result in productivity losses for affected firms and society as a whole.

The probability of becoming a victim is higher for both men and women who are gender minorities in segregated workplaces, as has been empirically demonstrated in many settings.

Thus, sexual harassment can create a vicious cycle of gender segregation in the workplace. This cycle may even begin before entry into the labour market, with experiences of sexual harassment in segregated study programmes affecting the choice of fields of study and early jobs. For example, this can contribute to 'leaky STEM pipelines' among women or men being discouraged from pursuing 'pink-collar' jobs (cf. the expected shortage of care workers and the lack of male role models in primary education).

If present, this cycle could contribute to the persistent gender segregation of occupations, which is a defining characteristic of the Danish labour market. This cycle threatens an efficient allocation of skills across education and occupation, affecting future skills. Consequently, sexual harassment incurs significant social costs.

External