Why women don’t report sexual harassment: A case study of an elite military institution

Experiences and Perceptions of Sexual Harassment in the Canadian Forces Combat Arms

“…Based on the results of this study, a small number of women (4/26) who had personally experienced sexual harassment uniformly found the formal reporting process surrounding harassment to be counterproductive and expressed several concerns regarding the negative repercussions of reporting harassment. Significantly, these concerns are consistent with previous research identifying similar issues raised by women in military settings related to the reporting of sexual harassment to authorities (Davis & Thomas, 1998;Firestone & Harris, 1999;Pershing, 2003). Congruent with past research, the women in this study identified threats to their safety, ostracism/social isolation, maligned reputation, and a lack of trust in the formal chain of command as concerns surrounding the reporting of harassment.…”

“…In the U.S. military context, for instance, three major sexual assault scandals have occurred in the past 20 years: the Tailhook scandal in 1991, the Aberdeen scandal in 1996, and the U.S. Air Force Academy scandal in 2003. In all three scandals, U.S. military officers were charged with sexually assaulting civilian and/or military women or engaging in indecent conduct (Department of Defense, 1996;Pershing, 2003). Importantly, when sexual harassment survey responses from U.S. military participants in 1988 were compared to responses from 1995, it was found that sexual harassment reports had declined over time, from 1988 (73.3%) to 1995 (59.1%) among women (Holden & Davis, 2001).…”

“…Examining sexual harassment complaints may involve intrusive investigations into the victim's past, potentially exacerbating feelings of victimization (Pershing, 2003). Revictimization may also occur in the form of peers avoiding the victim, causing her to feel isolated or ostracized (Pershing, 2003). Pershing examined experiences of sexual harassment among women in the U.S.…”

“…Furthermore, experiences of sexual harassment have been associated with increased anxiety and depression (Fitzgerald, Drasgow, & Magley, 1999), a number of negative job-related outcomes, including lower job satisfaction, organizational withdrawal, and declines in general job performance (Fitzgerald, Drasgow, 1997), as well as a reduction in unit cohesion and combat readiness in the U.S. military (Rosen & Martin, 1997). Adding further to the complexity of the problem, the underreporting of sexual harassment to authorities continues to plague efforts to determine accurate rates of harassment (Firestone & Harris, 1999;Pershing, 2003). For instance, in the U.S. military, although sexual harassment reports (as indicated through large-scale surveys) have declined over time, harassment still remains prevalent and is likely underreported (Firestone & Harris, 1999).…”

Experiences of Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault in the Military Among OEF/OIF Veterans: Implications for Health Care Providers

“…The support available and general climate for OEF/OIF sexual trauma survivors is thus markedly different from those of survivors in previous eras. That said, some victims may still perceive there to be a code of silence around these issues and choose to not report their victimization experiences or seek help because they believe that nothing will be done or that they will experience repercussions for speaking up (Pershing, 2003).…”