Sexual Harassment in Radiology: Prevalence and Opportunities for Improvement

Women's experiences of sexual harassment in the retail clothing industry: a grounded theory study

Introduction

Sexual harassment is a significant problem in workplaces all over the world. Women's reactions to sexual harassment are influenced by various factors. The aim of the current study was to investigate how women respond sexual harassment in the retail clothing industry.

Methods

In-depth face-to-face interviews were conducted with 16 women aged 23-44 years (mean 29.18 years) employed for at least 3 years in clothes shops in Shiraz, Iran. A grounded theory approach was used to analysis the data and raise hypotheses.

Results

The main perpetrators of sexual harassment for female saleswomen were male customers. The women experienced conflict-induced stimulation (core phenomenon) when they were faced with sexual harassing behaviors (causal conditions). Such stimulation prompted three types of coping strategies: silence, avoidance, or confrontation. Intervening factors like the characteristics of the Iranian society (including family mores, state-imposed hijab regulations, patriarchal culture, educational system, and regulatory monitoring) and contextual factors (including individual and environmental factors and particularly employer expectations) were found to influence the selection of strategies used as well as their potential consequences in challenging situations.

Conclusion

The current study used a grounded theory approach to produce an explanatory storyline that can be tested. Sexual harassment induces conflict-induced stimulation and responses are influenced by intervening conditions, contextual factors, selected strategies, and the perceived consequences of the response. The findings of the grounded theory study suggest that there are negative consequences, particularly in terms of lack of employer support and losing one's job, shame, and family disapproval which act as barriers for female saleswomen to counteracting sexual harassment from male customers. Such an understanding can also be applied to develop educational policies to support women as well as ameliorate the prevalence of this essentially illegal problem.

NAM National Plan for Health Workforce Well-being: Applications for Radiology

The National Academy of Medicine Plan for Health Workforce Well-Being identifies seven priority areas, including creating positive work environments, addressing burnout and stress, promoting transparency and equity in compensation, providing education and training to promote resilience, enhancing community and social support systems, addressing the stigma associated with seeking help for mental health and substance use disorders and fostering leadership commitment and accountability for workforce well-being. This paper will explore the National Plan for Health Workforce Well-Being, providing an overview of the seven priority areas and offering strategies for implementation in radiology.

Prevalence and Impact of Workplace Sexual Harassment Experienced by Medical Sonographers

OBJECTIVE

To assess the prevalence and impact of sexual harassment among a nationwide sample of medical sonographers.

METHODS

A survey was distributed anonymously to a convenience sample of medical sonographers via email contacts and sonographer-specific social media pages. Data were analyzed to determine respondent demographics, the prevalence of sexual harassment in the last 2 years, the type and severity of harassment experienced, demographics of perpetrators, personal and institutional responses to such experiences, and the impact of sexual harassment on sonographer physical and mental health and job satisfaction.

RESULTS

Of the 220 sonographers (83% female) most (45%) were between 18 and 34 years and identified as white (81%). A total of 192 (87%) reported experiencing at least 1 incident of harassment within the last 2 years. Female respondents experienced higher harassment rates (76%) compared to males (50%, P = .02). The most common forms of harassment were verbal, including suggestive or sexist jokes (69%) and offensive sexist remarks (61%). Perpetrators were predominantly male (78%) and most commonly patients (89%) or their friends/family members (46%). The majority of respondents either ignored the harassing behavior (70%) or treated it like a joke (50%), with only a minority (12%) officially reporting incidents. Of those who reported, 44% were unsatisfied with their institution's response. Among respondents, 34% reported negative impacts of workplace sexual harassment, such as anxiety, depression, sleep loss, or adverse workplace consequences.

DISCUSSION

Workplace sexual harassment is a common occurrence for sonographers and often leads to negative health and career outcomes. Further institutional policies to prevent harassment and mitigate its effects are needed.

Imaging Care for Transgender and Gender Diverse Patients: Best Practices and Recommendations

Transgender and gender diverse (TGD) people experience health disparities, and many avoid necessary medical care because of fears of discrimination or mistreatment. Disparate care is further compounded by limited understanding of gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) and gender-affirming surgery among the medical community. Specific to radiology, TGD patients report more negative imaging experiences than negative general health encounters, highlighting the need for guidance and best practices for inclusive imaging care. A patient's imaging journey provides numerous opportunities for improvement. Inclusive practice in a radiology department starts with ordering and scheduling the examination, facilitated by staff education on appropriate use of a patient's chosen name, gender identity, and pronouns. Contemporary electronic health record systems have the capacity for recording detailed sexual orientation and gender identity data, but staff must be trained to solicit and use this information. A welcoming environment can help TGD patients to feel safe during the imaging experience and may include institutional nondiscrimination policies, gender-neutral signage, and all-gender single-user dressing rooms and bathrooms. Image acquisition should be performed using trauma-informed and patient-centered care. Finally, radiologists should be aware of reporting considerations for TGD patients, such as avoiding the use of gender in reports when it is not medically relevant and using precise, respectful language for findings related to GAHT and gender-affirming surgical procedures. As a field, radiology has a range of opportunities for improving care delivery for TGD patients, and the authors summarize recommended best practices. See the invited commentary by Stowell in this issue. ^© RSNA, 2023 Quiz questions for this article are available in the supplemental material.

You Too? Female Radiologists' Narratives on Discrimination and Harassment

BACKGROUND

There is a paucity of examples for gender discrimination and sexual harassment in radiology. This lack of knowledge can limit radiologists' ability to relate to this topic, acknowledge its importance and impact, and take actions toward improvement.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We conducted a qualitative analysis using the model of thematic analysis developed by Braun and Clarke of narrative responses to a survey on the topic of #MeToo, which was distributed to a social media group of female radiologists.

RESULTS

In all, 575 anonymous survey responses from 3,265 social media group members were analyzed. Among these responses, the study team identified important themes with examples, including Victims and Perpetrators, Acts of Gender Discrimination, Inequalities, Sexual Harassment and Assault, and Microaggressions.

CONCLUSION

The narratives provide relatable examples of gender discrimination and sexual harassment in radiology. These may spark discussions that raise awareness among radiologists and result in interventions geared toward improvement.

Establishing a Women in Radiology Group: A Toolkit From the American Association for Women in Radiology

Despite increasing representation in medical schools and surgical specialties, recruitment of women into radiology has failed to exhibit commensurate growth. Furthermore, women in radiology are less likely to advance to leadership roles. A Women in Radiology (WIR) group provides a robust support system that has been shown to produce numerous benefits to the group's individual participants as well as the group's institution or practice. These benefits include development of mentorship relationships, guidance of career trajectories, improved camaraderie, increased participation in scholarly projects, and increased awareness of gender-specific issues. This article describes a recommended pathway to establishing a WIR group, with the goal of fostering sponsorship and promoting leadership, recruitment, and advancement of women in radiology. Barriers to implementation are considered, and resources to facilitate success, including a range of resources provided by the American Association for Women in Radiology, are reviewed. By implementing the provided framework, radiologists at any career stage can start a WIR group, to promote the advancement of their female colleagues.

Bullying, harassment and sexual discrimination among ophthalmologists in Australia and New Zealand

BACKGROUND

Discrimination, bullying and sexual harassment (DBSH) impact the psychological well-being of doctors and contribute to poor health outcomes. The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists (RANZCO) commissioned independent surveys to evaluate DBSH among members/trainees.

METHODS

Anonymous online surveys by Best Practice Australia were undertaken in 2015 and 2018. Cross-sectional analysis was prevalence of perceived DBSH, rates of reporting, intervention and resolution undertaken. Response rate was 50% (658/1319) in 2015 and 40% (557/1401) in 2018. In both surveys, 29% were female. This is representative of the distribution of the RANZCO members.

RESULTS

In a 2015 survey, 37.6% of respondents experienced DBSH, with prevalence being the highest for females (62.3%; N = 104 cf males 27.7%; N = 167) and trainees (49.2%; N = 61). In 2018, 49.2% of respondents reported DBSH with rates low for all forms of DBSH (22%-29%). Sexual harassment was reported by 12% and the least discussed or reported. Respondents strategy for taking action included draw on personal support network (25-43%), official complaints to supervisors (16-22%), human resources (2%-10%) and RANZCO (0%-6%). Reasons for not taking action included fear of impact of future career options (54.1%-60.7%), fear of victimization (35.7%-50.4%) and afraid of not being believed (31.9%-52.4%). Satisfactory resolution rates were 6% to 25%. A majority of respondents (77%) were positive about RANZCO initiatives.

CONCLUSIONS

DBSH is commonly reported by RANZCO members with female ophthalmologists more than two times more likely to experience any one of the four behaviours, three times more likely to experience discrimination and six times for sexual harassment. Fear of compromising personal and career progression contribute to low levels of reporting.

Incidence and Group Comparisons of Harassment Based on Gender, LGBTQ+ Identity, and Race at an Academic Medical Center

Background: A key recommendation from the landmark National Academies report called for research examining experiences of underrepresented and/or vulnerable groups, including people of color and sexual- and gender-minority people. We examine the prevalence of gender policing harassment (GPH), heterosexist harassment (HH), and racialized sexual harassment (RSH), by gender, LGBTQ+, race, and department grouping, which has not been previously examined in academic medicine. Materials and Methods: All faculty (n = 2723), fellows, residents, and first through third year medical students (n = 1822) at the University of Michigan Medical School (UMMS) who had been working at the organization for at least 1 year were invited to complete a 20-minute online survey. We assessed harassment within the past year, perpetrated by insiders (i.e., staff, students, and faculty) and from patients and patients' families. Results: A total of 705 faculty (25.9% of the targeted sample) and 583 trainees (32.0% of the targeted sample) were in the analytic sample. Women were significantly more likely to experience GPH from both sources than men, and LGBTQ+ individuals were more likely to face HH from both sources than cisgender heterosexual participants. Underrepresented minorities, Asian/Asian American, and female participants had higher rates of RSH perpetrated by insiders. There were significant department-group differences across harassment types. Conclusions: Less-studied forms of harassment are common within academic medicine and are perpetrated from various sources. Identity-based harassment should be investigated further to gain a comprehensive understanding of its impact within academic medicine. Clinical Trial Registration Number not applicable.