Research Finds That Anthropological Field Workers Are Often Subjected to Sexual Abuse

Research presented at the 2013 annual meeting of the American Association of Physical Anthropology shows that many students, particularly women, are psychologically, physically, and sexually abused while conducting field work in remote locations. The researchers surveyed 122 men and women who participated in anthropological field work. More than half said they had witnessed sexual harassment, physical abuse, or sexual assault while in the field.

Kathryn Clancy, an assistant professor of anthropology at the University of Illinois, stated, “Overwhelmingly, we’re seeing junior women being targeted by senior men. Fifty-nine percent of respondents have experienced sexual harassment and 19 percent report being sexually assaulted. Women are three times more likely to experience harassment than men.” Dr. Clancy is a graduate of Harvard University and holds a Ph.D. in anthropology from Yale University.

Joining Dr. Clancy in making the presentation were Julienne Rutherford of the University of Illinois at Chicago, Robin Nelson of the University of California at Riverside, and Katie Hind of Harvard University. All are tenure-track faculty members in the field of biological anthropology.