Sexual Harassment of Women Climate, Culture, and Consequences in Academic Sciences

311 Pages·2017·5.16 MB·English

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Sexual Harassment of Women Climate, Culture, and
Consequences in Academic Sciences, Engineering, and
Medicine
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310 pages | 6 x 9 | PAPERBACK
ISBN 978-0-309-47087-2 | DOI 10.17226/24994
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GET THIS BOOK Committee on the Impacts of Sexual Harassment in Academic Science, Engineering,
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Sexual Harassment of Women Climate, Culture, and Consequences in Academic Sciences, Engineering, and...
SEXUAL HARASSMENT OF WOMEN:
Climate, Culture, and Consequences
in Academic Sciences,
Engineering, and Medicine
Paula A. Johnson, Sheila E. Widnall, and Frazier F. Benya, Editors
Committee on the Impacts of Sexual Harassment in Academia
Committee on Women in Science, Engineering, and Medicine
Policy and Global Affairs
A Consensus Study Report of
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Sexual Harassment of Women Climate, Culture, and Consequences in Academic Sciences, Engineering, ...
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tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Award # WC133R-11-CQ-0048, TO#14),
the Burroughs Wellcome Fund, the Henry Luce Foundation, and the Howard Hughes Medi-
cal Institute. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this
publication do not necessarily reflect the views of any organization or agency that provided
support for the project.
International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-309-
International Standard Book Number-10: 0-309-
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Suggested citation: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2018.
Sexual Harassment of Women: Climate, Culture, and Consequences in Academic Sciences,
Engineering, and Medicine. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: https://
doi.org/10.17226/24994.
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Sexual Harassment of Women Climate, Culture, and Consequences in Academic Sciences, Engineering, ...
The National Academy of Sciences was established in 1863 by an Act of
Congress, signed by President Lincoln, as a private, nongovernmental institu-
tion to advise the nation on issues related to science and technology. Members
are elected by their peers for outstanding contributions to research. Dr. Marcia
McNutt is president.
The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964 under the char-
ter of the National Academy of Sciences to bring the practices of engineering
to advising the nation. Members are elected by their peers for extraordinary
contributions to engineering. Dr. C. D. Mote, Jr., is president.
The National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine) was
established in 1970 under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences to
advise the nation on medical and health issues. Members are elected by their
peers for distinguished contributions to medicine and health. Dr. Victor J. Dzau
is president.
The three Academies work together as the National Academies of Sciences,
Engi neering, and Medicine to provide independent, objective analysis and
advice to the nation and conduct other activities to solve complex problems
and inform public policy decisions. The National Academies also encourage
education and research, recognize outstanding contributions to knowledge,
and increase public understanding in matters of science, engineering, and
medicine.
Learn more about the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
at www.nationalacademies.org.
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Consensus Study Reports published by the National Academies of Sciences,
Engi neering, and Medicine document the evidence-based consensus on the
study’s statement of task by an authoring committee of experts. Reports typi-
cally include findings, conclusions, and recommendations based on information
gathered by the committee and the committee’s deliberations. Each report
has been subjected to a rigorous and independent peer-review process and it
represents the position of the National Academies on the statement of task.
Proceedings published by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and
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For information about other products and activities of the National Academies,
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COMMITTEE ON THE IMPACTS OF SEXUAL
HARASSMENT IN ACADEMIA
PAULA A. JOHNSON (NAM) (Co-Chair), President, Wellesley College
SHEILA E. WIDNALL (NAE) (Co-Chair), Institute Professor, Massachusetts
Institute of Technology
ALICE M. AGOGINO (NAE), Roscoe and Elizabeth Hughes Professor of
Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley
NICHOLAS ARNOLD, Professor of Engineering, Santa Barbara City College
GILDA A. BARABINO, Daniel and Frances Berg Professor, Dean of the
Grove School of Engineering, the City College of New York
KATHRYN B. H. CLANCY, Associate Professor of Anthropology, University
of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
LILIA CORTINA, Professor of Psychology, Women’s Studies, and
Management and Organizations, University of Michigan
AMY DODRILL, Vice President and General Manager, Trumpf Medical USA
LISA GARCIA BEDOLLA, Professor, Graduate School of Education, and
Director, Institute of Governmental Studies, University of California,
Berkeley
LIZA H. GOLD, Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, Georgetown University
School of Medicine
MELVIN GREER, Chief Data Scientist, Americas, Intel Corporation
LINDA GUNDERSEN, Scientist Emeritus, U.S. Geological Survey
ELIZABETH L. HILLMAN, President, Mills College
TIMOTHY R.B. JOHNSON, (NAM), Arthur F. Thurnau Professor, Professor
of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Professor of Women’s Studies,
University of Michigan
ANNA KIRKLAND, Arthur F. Thurnau Professor, Professor of Women’s
Studies and Director, Institute for Research on Women and Gender,
University of Michigan
EDWARD LAZOWSKA (NAE), Bill & Melinda Gates Chair, Paul G. Allen
School of Computer Science & Engineering, University of Washington
VICKI MAGLEY, Professor of Psychology, University of Connecticut
ROBERTA MARINELLI, Dean, College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric
Sciences, Oregon State University
CONSTANCE A. MORELLA, Former Congresswoman
JOHN B. PRYOR, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Psychology, Illinois
State University
BILLY M. WILLIAMS, Vice President for Ethics, Diversity, and Inclusion,
American Geophysical Union
v
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Sexual Harassment of Women Climate, Culture, and Consequences in Academic Sciences, Engineering, ...
Study Staff
FRAZIER BENYA, Study Director
AUSTEN APPLEGATE, Senior Program Assistant (from May 2017)
ASHLEY BEAR, Program Officer
ALLISON BERGER, Senior Program Assistant (from September 2017)
JAIME COLEMAN, Senior Program Assistant (November 2016 to December
2017)
ADRIANA COUREMBIS, Financial Officer
FRED LESTINA, Senior Program Assistant (from December 2017)
MARIA LUND DAHLBERG, Program Officer
IRENE NGUN, Research Associate
THOMAS RUDIN, Director, Committee on Women in Science, Engineering,
and Medicine
Fellows
ALEX HELMAN, Christine Mirzayan Science and Technology Policy
Graduate Fellow (January 2018 to April 2018)
KELLYANN JONES-JAMTGAARD, Christine Mirzayan Science and
Technology Policy Graduate Fellow (January 2017 to April 2017)
vi
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COMMITTEE ON WOMEN IN SCIENCE,
ENGINEERING, AND MEDICINE
JOAN WENNSTROM BENNETT (Current Chair), Distinguished Professor
of Plant Biology and Pathology, Associate Vice President in the Office for
Promotion of Women in Science, Engineering, and Mathematics, Rutgers
University (from January 2018)
RITA R. COLWELL (Past Chair), Distinguished University Professor,
University of Maryland, College Park, and Johns Hopkins University
Bloomberg School of Public Health (until December 2017)
ALICE M. AGOGINO, Roscoe and Elizabeth Hughes Professor of
Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley (until
December 2017)
CRISTINA H. AMON, Dean and Alumni Professor of Bioengineering,
University of Toronto, Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering
NANCY ANDREWS, Dean of the Duke University School of Medicine and
Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, and Nanaline H. Duke Professor
of Pediatrics and Professor of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke
University
JOAN W. BENNETT, Distinguished Professor, Department of Plant Biology
and Pathology, and Associate Vice President, Office for Promotion of
Women in Science, Engineering, and Mathematics, Rutgers University
MAY BERENBAUM, Professor and Head of Entomology, University of
Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (from January 2018)
EMERY N. BROWN, Taplin Professor of Medical Engineering, Massachusetts
Institute of Technology; Warren M. Zapol Professor of Anesthesia, Harvard
Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital
ANA MARI CAUCE, President, University of Washington (from January
2018)
JENNIFER T. CHAYES, Technical Fellow and Managing Director of
Microsoft Research New England, Microsoft Research New York City, and
Microsoft Research Maluuba, Montreal (until December 2017)
VALERIE CONN, Executive Director, Science Philanthropy Alliance (from
January 2018)
MACHI DILWORTH, Vice President, Gender Equality and Human Resource
Development, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (from January
2018)
PAULA T. HAMMOND, David H. Koch Professor of Engineering,
Department Head, Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts
Institute of Technology
EVELYNN M. HAMMONDS, Barbara Gutmann Rosenkrantz Professor of
the History of Science; Professor of African and African American Studies;
Chair, Department of the History of Science, Harvard University
vii
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Sexual Harassment of Women Climate, Culture, and Consequences in Academic Sciences, Engineering, ...
JANE E. HENNEY, Home Secretary, National Academy of Medicine (from
May 2017)
HILARY LAPIN-SCOTT, Senior Pro-Vice Chancellor, Swansea University,
United Kingdom (from January 2018)
ED LAZOWSKA, Bill & Melinda Gates Chair, Paul G. Allen School of
Computer Science & Engineering, University of Washington
JULIA M. PHILLIPS, Home Secretary, National Academy of Engineering
(from May 2017)
VIVIAN W. PINN, Senior Scientist Emerita, Fogarty International Center;
and Former Director, Office of Research on Women’s Health (Retired),
National Institutes of Health (until December 2017)
VALERIE TAYLOR, Director, Mathematics and Computer Science Division,
U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory
SUSAN R. WESSLER, Neil A. and Rochelle A. Campbell Presidential Chair
for Innovation in Science Education, University of California, Riverside
SHELDON WEINBAUM, CUNY Distinguished Professor Emeritus, the City
College of the City University of New York
Committee Staff
AUSTEN APPLEGATE, Senior Program Assistant (from May 2017)
ASHLEY BEAR, Program Officer
LIDA BENINSON, Program Officer
FRAZIER BENYA, Program Officer
ALLISON BERGER, Senior Program Assistant (from September 2017)
JAIME COLMAN, Senior Program Assistant (November 2016 to December
2017)
MARIA DAHLBERG, Program Officer
LEIGH JACKSON, Senior Program Officer
BARBARA NATALIZIO, Program Officer (from September 2017)
IRENE NGUN, Research Associate
LAYNE SCHERER, Program Officer
THOMAS RUDIN, Director
viii
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Sexual Harassment of Women Climate, Culture, and Consequences in Academic Sciences, Engineering, ...
Preface
Throughout our careers we have worked to encourage women to pursue
their interests and capabilities in science, engineering, and medicine. And we are
delighted with the continual increase in the percentage of women in these fields.
We have also worked to ensure a welcoming and safe environment in academia
for women students, faculty, and staff. We believe that universities have a spe-
cial responsibility to provide a welcoming and effective environment for women
students. We believe that this report focuses on the issues that must be addressed
for our communities to take the next step.
Preventing and effectively addressing sexual harassment of women in col-
leges and universities has remained a challenge for decades, but over that time
a strong research base has been developed that reveals the true nature of sexual
harassment and its impacts on women’s careers—and also reveals what can be
done to successfully address it. The Committee on Women in Science, Engineer-
ing, and Medicine developed the idea for this study on the Impacts of Sexual
Harassment in Academia more than 2 years ago, and proposed that a special
study committee be appointed to examine the research on sexual harassment
to determine what could be done to prevent it in academic settings in science,
engineering, and medicine.
With this charge, our study committee of distinguished scientists, engineers,
and physicians, and experts in sexual harassment research, legal studies, and
psychology held a series of workshops and undertook a deep analysis of the
literature to gather information for our study and to simultaneously help inform
the broader community about the problem of sexual harassment. Over the course
of the study, which was launched in late 2016, the topic rose in prominence in
the national discourse, most significantly with the rise of the #MeToo movement,
ix
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