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Abstract
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Uncomfortable conversations are necessary for a safe work environment.
Surgery and surgical training have a problem with sexual harassment, sexual assault and rape. It is an uncomfortable truth, but the truth nonetheless. These issues are present in all spaces, including workplaces, and broadly range from small infringements of personal space to overtly criminal activity. However, in surgery we have a specific issue: our community is small. This means that despite reporting abuse, a person may never be able to walk away from the experience or the community in which it happened.
To have honest and accurate conversations about sexual harassment, sexual assault or rape, we need to know what these terms mean. As there is often misunderstanding, the following definitions from UK law are important:
Sexual harassment is a form of unlawful discrimination under the Equality Act 2010. Sexual harassment is unwanted behaviour of a sexual nature.
To be sexual harassment, the unwanted behaviour must have either:
- violated someone's dignity, whether it was intended or not
- created a hostile environment for them, whether it was intended or not.
Sexual assault is when a person is coerced or physically forced to engage in sexual contact against their will, or when a person, male or female, touches another person sexually without their consent. Touching can be done with any part of the body or with an object. Sexual penetration is when a person (male or female) penetrates the vagina or anus of another person with any part of their body or an object without that person's consent.2
A rape is when a person uses their penis without consent to penetrate the vagina, mouth, or anus of another person. Legally, a person without a penis cannot commit rape, but may be guilty of rape if they assist a perpetrator in an attack.
From these definitions it is clear that this is a broad range of behaviour, from unintentionally creating a hostile environment to sexual penetration. The milder end of the spectrum is often underestimated, underplayed and commonly excused: 'everyday' sexual harassment often involves ostensibly positive things like commenting on appearance. The defences of 'but it's a compliment!' and 'but she likes it!' do not lessen the fact that, in the workplace, there are ways of paying a compliment that are acceptable, and ways that are very much not. Despite being positive remarks, they objectify the person rather than valuing them as a professional. Moreover, there are a variety of social reasons why 'smile and say thank you' is the easier thing to do than to speak up against unwelcome behaviours or attitudes.
Surgeons and trainees are unlikely to report sexual harassment; thus, to date, much of the information we have on this topic is anecdotal. Anonymous surveys have often revealed the extent of the problem. Recently, the Rouleaux Club (the trainee body for vascular surgery) released data from their national survey. Of 120 vascular trainees, and with a 60% response rate, 46% reported experiencing or witnessing bullying, undermining or harassment. This prompted trainees to share their experiences on social media. Many described physical and verbal behaviours that rekindled discourse in the surgical community around sexual harassment, assault and rape. Similarly, the recent independent review on diversity and inclusion from the Royal College of Surgeons of England highlighted that 'jokes' were made about rape and sexual assault, and revealed that of the 800 respondents who stated they had suffered harassment/abuse, only one quarter had reported it to someone...
Language: en |