Bystander Intervention to Address Harassment Mary Anne Holmes
Bystander Intervention to Address Harassment Mary Anne Holmes University of Nebraska. Lincoln Deborah Love Tulane University Erika Marin-Spiotta University of Wisconsin Blair Schneider University of Kansas
Acknowledgements • Association for Women in Science (AWIS)s’ Janet Koster, Sherry Marts • Stephanie Goodwin, Wright State University • AGU Ethics Task Force • American Sociological Association • American Astronomical Society
Goals • Leave today feeling you have tools to: • Promote a productive, equitable workplace • Address harassment, bullying when it occurs (or shortly thereafter) • Be prepared to enact your institution’s policies on sexual harassment, harassment and bullying in a fair and rational way
Recent High-Profile Revelations
Recent High-Profile Revelations - Academia The Atlantic When Will the ‘Harvey Effect’ Reach Academia? In the hypercompetitive world of higher education, many academics who face sexual harassment remain silent to avoid forfeiting a promotion or research gig.
Harassment in the Field • Internet survey of 666 participants in Anthropology • 71% of women received unwanted sexual attention (inappropriate comments) • Predominantly from superiors, peers, local community members • 41% of men received unwanted sexual attention • Predominantly from peers, then superiors • 70% of women received unwanted contact • 5% of men had received unwanted contact • 26% of women experienced assault • 6% of men experienced assault Clancy et al. , 2014.
Hostile Climates: Double jeopardy • 40% of women of color (WOC) and 27% of white women reported feeling unsafe in current position due to gender • 28% of WOC reported feeling unsafe due to race • 18% of WOC and 12% of white women reported avoidance: skipping a class, meeting, fieldwork, or other professional event because they felt unsafe Clancy et al 2017
Sexual Harassment in Academia as of 12/7/2017 586 documented cases and counting • Harassment is often physical • Investigations are secret • Common outcome is resignation • Harassers are often reassigned or re-hired (“pass the harasser”) • 53 % of faculty cases involve serial harassers Julie Libarkin. Cantalupo and Kidder 2018 Resigned, Oct ‘ 15
Harassment Can Be Murky • May not be recognized as such by harasser • May not be recognized by target So what IS harassment?
AGU’s Code of Conduct Definitions • Harassment: …a single or several intense and severe act(s), which are unwanted, unwelcome, demeaning, abusive, or offensive. • Sexual harassment: any unwanted sexual advance, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical harassment of a sexual nature. • Bullying: . . the use of force, threat, or coercion to…intimidate or aggressively dominate others.
It’s not about… • Attraction • Sex • Romance • Having fun • Lightening up the atmosphere • Joking
It IS about POWER • Power differential • Power imbalance • The inability of the target to speak up or say “no” without repercussions from the more powerful perpetrator.
Tripartite Model - 3 Types of Sexual Harassment • Sexual Coercion • Threats, bribes (rarest) • Unwanted Sexual Attention • Unwanted advances – unwanted touching • Pressure for a date or sex • Gender Harassment • Purpose is to insult, demean or disdain • Less likely to be identified as a form of Sexual Harassment (most common) Holland, K. J. and Cortina, L. M. , 2016. Least common Most reported Most common Least reported
Multiple levels of impact • Individual Impact: Increased anxiety, depression; decreased life satisfaction 20% experience PTSD or Major Depressive Disorder; increased alcohol abuse; poor sleep; gastric disorders; serious illnesses • Team Impact: hurts cohesion and performance • Institutional Impact: beyond the 2 involved; Decreased job satisfaction work withdrawal behavior (late arrival, early leaving); increased group conflicts Holland Cortina, 2016; Raver and Gelfand, 2005: Schneider et al. , 1997.
The Department Chair/Head Role • Know your Institution’s Policies, Procedures • • What are possible penalties for perpetrator, for non-reporting? What is the burden of proof to empower you to act? What are you empowered to do? Who has the final say on the resolution? • Does Department have a written policy? • Is it distributed to faculty annually? • Is it distributed to students ? • Be Aware • Foster open communication – coffee, drop-ins, lunch – what do YOU do? • Encourage faculty, students to learn Bystander Intervention skills
Sexual Harassment Statement for my Department Dawn Sumner, Chair, Earth and Planetary Sciences, UC Davis • A legal definition of sexual harassment and a statement that sexual harassment is not acceptable • Some ideas for working together as a community to reduce harassment of all types • What to do when harassment occurs • Faculty have an obligation to report all incidents of harassment, irrespective of when the harassment occurred http: //dysumner. faculty. ucdavis. edu/sexual-harassment-statement-for-my-department/
Fostering an Open Atmosphere
Bystander Intervention What’s a “bystander”? • Witnesses the event, but is not a player in the event: not the target, not the perpetrator
Bystander Intervention For a Decision Whether to Act Now: 1. 2. 3. 4. Is it harassment? Is it urgent to act now? Is target in danger? What are my responsibilities in this situation? What can I do? (now or later) Ashburn-Nardo, et al. , 2008.
Factors in Determining Response • What just happened? • Who did it happen to, between? • What is the context? • Am I a bystander or some other player? • For department chairs, you are generally NOT a bystander! Goodwin, et al. , 1998.
What Works? 1. Question / Interrupt / Pivot 1. 2. 3. 4. “Did I just hear you say…” “Can you please repeat that? ” “Have you met our new…. ” “Is that a rhinoceros over there? “ 2. Remind People of Their Better Selves 1. “I know you and I’m surprised to hear you say that” 2. “That doesn’t sound like you, [name]”. 3. “Having a bad day? ” Ashburn-Nardo, et al. , 2008.
What Works? - cont 3. Challenge Respectfully 1. “I don’t think that’s true…” 2. “I’m not comfortable with that statement” 4. Physical Response 1. Gasp 2. “Ouch!” 3. Facial expression: surprise, confusion, worry, horror Ashburn-Nardo, et al. , 2008.
After the Incident: difficult conversations • Be Clear About Your Goal • If possible, write it out before you begin the conversation • Primary goal(s); backup goal (what you can live with) • Stay Focused on Your Goals • It’s not about winning, but common understanding • Keep an Eye on Body Language • Are people getting tense, fidgety; not making eye contact? • Act to Resolve the Issue • Provide Support to the Target
Scenario 1 • What, if anything, suggested bias? What kind of biases might these reflect? • How urgent is it to respond to the behaviors you observed? • How responsible do you feel for speaking up? To whom would you speak up and why? • What might you consider doing if you were a bystander in the situation? • What might be the costs/benefits of taking the actions you’re considering?
Scenario 2 • What, if anything, suggested bias? What kind of biases might these reflect? • How urgent is it to respond to the behaviors you observed? • How responsible do you feel for speaking up? To whom would you speak up and why? • What might you consider doing if you were a bystander in the situation? • What might be the costs/benefits of taking the actions you’re considering?
Scenario 3 • What, if anything, suggested bias? What kind of biases might these reflect? • How urgent is it to respond to the behaviors you observed? • How responsible do you feel for speaking up? To whom would you speak up and why? • What might you consider doing if you were a bystander in the situation? • What might be the costs/benefits of taking the actions you’re considering?
It’s About Transforming The Culture Educate yourself and your community Facilitate conversations Establish a policy for reporting Endorse code of conduct with real sanctions Lead by example
Safe. AGU: Conference behavior, reporting • Modeled on American Astronomical Society • Trained AGU employees and volunteers with visible identifier (button) • Report to, escort back to hotel, speak to an offender… Coming Soon: Bystander Intervention Training
. edu/advance_sh 1725879 rtnership: From the Field: Improving the Geosciences ADVANCE GEO Pa 1. Develop and test sexual h intervention training prog relevant scenarios and th intersectionality. 2. Develop teaching module research ethics trainings. 3. Disseminate training and partnership with professi
Thank you! Please fill out workshop evaluations Interested in being a part of ongoing research on sexual harassment in the geosciences? Consider joining one of our focus groups! Monday, 12/11 1) 10: 40 -Noon or 2) 1: 00 -2: 20 pm Tuesday , 12/12 3) 10: 40 -Noon or 4) 1: 40 -3: 00 pm in the Windsor Room of the Hilton Riverside Project Website: serc. carleton. edu/advance_sh
Resources • • • Books Implicit Bias, Hiring Between the World and Me, Ta-Nehisi Coates Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking, Malcolm Gladwell Gut Feelings, Gird Gigerenzer Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam, Thinking, Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman Whistling Vivaldi, Claude M. Steele The All New Don’t Think of an Elephant, George Lakoff The Politics of Sexual Harassment, Kathrin Zippel • • Holding That Conversation • Crucial Conversations, Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron Mc. Millan, Al Switzer • Leadership Without Easy Answers, Richard Heifetz • Leadership on the Line, Richard Heifetz and Marty Linsky • The No Asshole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace, Robert I. Sutton • Podcasts • Hidden Brain • Freakonomics Radio
References Thank You! Cantalupo and Kidder 2018 A Systematic Look at a Serial Problem: Sexual Harassment of Students by University Faculty. Utah Law Review Clancy et al 2017 Double jeopardy in astronomy and planetary science: Women of color face greater risks of gendered and racial harassment JGR Planets Clancy, K. B. , Nelson, R. G. , Rutherford, J. N. and Hinde, K. , 2014. Survey of academic field experiences (SAFE): Trainees report harassment and assault. PLo. S One, 9(7), p. e 102172. Fitzgerald, L. F. , Gelfand, M. J. and Drasgow, F. , 1995. Measuring sexual harassment: Theoretical and psychometric advances. Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 17(4), pp. 425 -445. Goodwin, S. A. , Operario, D. and Fiske, S. T. , 1998. Situational power and interpersonal dominance facilitate bias and inequality. Journal of Social Issues, 54(4), pp. 677 -698. Holland, K. J. and Cortina, L. M. , 2016. Sexual Harassment: Undermining the Wellbeing of Working Women. In Handbook on Well-Being of Working Women (pp. 83101). Springer Netherlands. Libarkin, Julie. Geocognition Research Group, https: //geocognitionresearchlaboratory. wordpress. com/2016/02/15/sexual-harassment-in-academia-not-just-words/ Marín-Spiotta, Erika, Blair Schneider and Mary Anne Holmes 2016. Steps to building a no-tolerance culture for sexual harassment. Eos, 97, doi: 10. 1029/2016 EO 044859. Raver, J. L. and Gelfand, M. J. , 2005. Beyond the individual victim: Linking sexual harassment, team processes, and team performance. Academy of Management Journal, 48(3), pp. 387 -400. Richey, C. R. , K. B. H. Clancy, K. M. Lee and E. Rodgers. 2015. The CSWA Survey on Workplace Climate. https: //assets. documentcloud. org/documents/2681711/Richey-2015 -DPS-Masursky-Talk. pdf Schneider, K. T. , Swan, S. and Fitzgerald, L. F. , 1997. Job-related and psychological effects of sexual harassment in the workplace: empirical evidence from two organizations. Journal of Applied Psychology, 82(3), p. 401. Young, T. E. , 1898. The origin and development of scientific and professional societies, with their bearing upon the Institute of Actuaries and is associated Profession. A Presidential Address delivered before the Institute of Actuaries on the 29 th of November 1897. Journal of the Institute of Actuaries (1886 -1994), Vol. 33, No. 6, pp. 453 -485. http: //www. jstor. org/stable/41136155 Zevallos, Z. January 29, 2016 http: //theconversation. com/how-to-stop-the-sexual-harassment-of-women-in-science-reboot-the-system-53210 http: //n 80002. eos-intl. net/N 80002/OPAC/Search/Special. Titles. aspx? List_Code=15264881&clicked=true&Patron. Searches=false https: //www. insidehighered. com/quicktakes/2016/01/04/aaas-wont-consider-ucla-professor-fellow
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