Survey Finds That Sexual Harassment and Assault Are Common on Scientific Field Studies

Research presented at the 2013 annual meeting of the American Association of Physical Anthropology this past spring showed that many students, particularly women, are psychologically, physically, and sexually abused while conducting field work in remote locations.

Now a follow-up study published in the journal PLOS One presents evidence that the same abuse occurs in field research in other fields including geology, archeology, and other scientific endeavors. Of the nearly 700 field workers surveyed, a vast majority of whom are women, 64 percent said they had been exposed to inappropriate sexual remarks, comments about their physical appearance, or jokes about gender differences. Some 20 percent of the field workers surveyed reported that they had victims of sexual assault while conducting field research.

Kathryn B.H. Clancy, an assistant professor of anthropology at the University of Illinois and one of the four authors of the study, stated, “Our main findings – that women trainees were disproportionately targeted for abuse and felt they had few avenues to report or resolve these problems – suggest that at least some field sites are not safe, nor inclusive. We worry this is at least one mechanism driving women from science.”

Dr. Clancy added: “Fieldwork is often what stirs the first interest in science in a young person, and research has shown that scientists who do more fieldwork write more papers and get more grants. We have to pay attention to how people are treated there.”

Dr. Clancy is a graduate of Harvard University and holds a Ph.D. in anthropology from Yale University. Joining Dr. Clancy as authors of the research are 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.

The article, “Survey of Academic Field Experiences (SAFE): Trainees Report Harassment and Assault,” is available here.

Related Articles

Latest News

Data Shows High Attrition Rates for Women in STEM Degree Programs

For women who began their four-year college career in a STEM discipline, 14 percent dropped out of college and 32 percent switched to a non-STEM major before earning their degree.

Monique Guillory Named Ninth President of Dillard University

Dr. Guillory has served as Dillard University's interim president for the past seven months. Her background includes over three decades of higher education administration experience.

Lynne Coy-Organ Is the First Woman President of Husson University

Lynne Coy-Organ has been named the first woman president of Husson University in Maine. She has served as the university's provost and senior vice president for academic affairs for the past 15 years.

Donna Hedgepath Will Be the First Woman President of Wayland Baptist University

Current provost of Campbellsville University in Kentucky, Donna Hedgepath, has been named president of Wayland Baptist University in Texas, making her the first woman to be selected for the position.

Three Women Scholars Appointed to Provost Positions

The new provosts are Elizabeth Dumont at the University of California, Merced, Marguerite Giguette at Xavier University in New Orleans, and Margaret Brown Marsden at Midwestern State University in Texas.

MOSDOH – Dean of the Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health

The dean serves as the chief academic and administrative officer for MOSDOH, leading a mission-driven dental school known for innovation, community partnerships, and service to the underserved.

Vice President for Administrative Services and Chief Financial Officer

The successful candidate will have a strong financial and administrative background and demonstrated ability to excel in a fast-paced, dynamic and complex community college that values integrity, excellence, empowerment, inclusiveness, collaboration and stewardship.

Instructional Professor in Law, Letters, and Society (Open Rank)

The Social Sciences Collegiate Division at the University of Chicago is now accepting applications for a full-time Instructional Professor who will teach in the program in Law, Letters, and Society.

Instructor, Economics

The Kenneth C. Griffin Department of Economics at the University of Chicago invites applications for tenure-track faculty positions in Economics at the Instructor position level to begin in the 2025-26 academic year and is renewable for up to three years.

Vice Chancellor for Student Success

The Vice Chancellor for Student Success will be a strategic, student-centered, data-informed, systems thinker who thrives in a fast paced, high-achieving environment.