Uncovering true state of workplace sexual harassment : Application of Operational and Subjective approaches

Abstract

Surveys on workplace sexual harassment have been regularly conducted in South Korea. Many of the surveys use the term ‘sexual harassment’ directly in the title and/or the questions and the criteria for victims vary. Such unstandardized methods raises a question over sampling bias and may interfere with uncovering the true state of sexual harassment. In order to address the issue, this study applied operational and subjective approaches to identify victims and the survey was conducted under the neutral title ‘Work Conditions Survey’. Data analyses revealed that the rate of subjective victims were 11.6% for females and 6.9% for males. In terms of operational victims, females were 34.4% and males 25.0%. The results indicate that both genders are likely to underestimate the extent of their victimization or are unaware of being sexually harassed. Moreover, there were noticeable proportion of men having been exposed to sexual harassments as well as women. A number of practical implications can be made. Firstly, sexual harassment is an issue that concerns both men and women. South Korean legislation and policy over sexual harassment at work have been focusing on female victims but the gender-centrism should be avoided. Protection and support should be provided for both male and female workers. Preventive education should also be enhanced to establish the right attitudes towards sexual harassment. Such actions would promote societal consensus, regardless of gender, to act together to overcome workplace sexual harassment.