Stevie Hankins
Dr. Weiser
English 1110.01H
12/2/19
The Start of A Rabbit Hole
“Sexual assault is the most underreported violent crime in America” (Jones, 421). Sexual assault runs rampant, and most of modern day society would rather it not. It doesn’t just occur out in the streets, assault of this nature occurs in homes, businesses, and schools. In academia, sexual assault isn’t nearly as talked about. However it is prevalent, and its usually committed by someone higher in the field. In the sciences, where students are in labs and different sites all across campus and the world. It happens so frequently with such low rate of report that its astounding. What does that say about the sciences? That theres a serious and dangerous power imbalance allowing this to occur repeatedly.
In a study called Survey of Academic Field Experiences (SAFE), only 13 percent reported the harassment and only 7 percent formally came forward (Webley, 212). That’s out of 666 responses. The main reason for never coming forward tends to be fear. Speaking up about their assaults means speaking out against the very people who writes their recommendations and have control their careers. Making it the whole process unsavory and not worth the trouble to them. Speaking out could cost working in the field that they dedicated their academic life’s to.
Except its not easy to stay in the field where a traumatic event happens. Most women who were assaulted tend to leave their fields to get away from the trauma. Those who don’t don’t move on go stagnant, as shown by Webley in a first hand account “ the woman had yet to finish her Ph.D…. When asked what was holding her up ‘every time I look at my dissertation data it reminds me of when I was sexually assaulted in the field’” (211). This stagnation lessens the amount of women working in the field and leading the research. Thus letting the same men who assault them keep their positions.
Along side stagnation and leaving, theres something equally as bad. Being passed over for raises and job opportunities, as brought up in a briefing Elyse Shaw “sexual harassment may limit or discourage women from advancing into higher paid careers…” (1). Not only are they passed over, they’re not even credited in for their own ideas and research (Aschwanden, 1). Which help further the lack of higher paid jobs these women are being picked for.
With all this going on, there would be an assumption that there are policies in place to prevent this. Well there are, theres Title IX that outlawed sex based discrimination in public education (Aschwanden, 2). However that hasn’t stopped the discrimination Webley brought this up with another first hand account “ she went from working 20 hours each week putting in five hours or less. Soon, ‘it was like “‘ well, we started this project, but you’re not a part of it. We are writing up this paper, but we didn’t put you on it because you haven’t been here,’” … by the end of her time she had only been listed as an author on four papers, while her male counter parts had been cited on twenty” (214). Exclusion for work that these women have been desperately wanting to do
The exclusion along side the stagnation and the loss of higher ranked and paying jobs lead to a power imbalance. Men: who are less likely to be sexually assaulted in the field, less likely to excluded from their work, and less likely to be passed over for. Now that’s not to say it doesn’t happen at all, but it certainly happens less. In 2017 the EEOC received 26,978 claims of workplace harassment, more then half were sex-based and twenty percent were made by men (Shaw, 2). But those men can still progress in the field and grab higher positions. The men who have committed any of these assaults stay in positions of power. Thus letting them continue to pray upon any young scientist who comes into their labs or onto their sites.
This perpetuates a cycle of assault. The more men in the field that will commit such acts will drive out anyone they pray upon. Letting them advance unstopped and letting the culture they created continue. However some may say that there is no cycle because most assaults are more he said she said.
Those who tend to say such things tend to not back up beyond the he said she said. However, even with how few women report such assaults. Those who’ve assaulted more then one women have at least one rumor or report against them “‘ I’ve Heard too many stories about the professor who isn’t allowed to be in the room with X, Y and Z anymore,’” (Aschwanden, 2). Rumors of that nature don’t spawn from nothing.
So on goes the cycle, unless theres a way to break it. Fortunately there is. Self policing amongst coworkers and peers. Pointing out lewd jokes, calling out inappropriate comments. No, the women in the field shouldn’t have to be the only ones calling out such behavior. They already have to look out for that behavior in every day places. Work should be one less place to have to be worried about.
But why is this issue prevalent? What does this matter? Well, think about any article that’s been brought into public eye. Very few have a female as it authors however women have certainly put fourth the research in those papers. The cost of it was their safety and their bodies. These women so desperately want to be able to just work and study in their fields without risk of any form of assault.
It would only be fair to let these hard working women have a chance. To be free of stagnation, and being passed over for higher positions. To not have to leave their dream field to get away from trauma. To not feel dread to look at certain research, to go into a lab alone with a male coworker. The very least these women deserve a small bit of justice.
Works Cited
Aschwanden, Christie. “Harassment in Science, Replicated.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 11 Aug. 2014, http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/12/science/harassment-in-science-replicated.html?emc=eta1&_r=0
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. https://doi.org/10.17226/24994
Jones, Jeffrey S., et al. “Why Women Dont Report Sexual Assault to the Police: The Influence of Psychosocial Variables and Traumatic Injury.” The Journal of Emergency Medicine, vol. 36, no. 4, 2009, pp. 417–424., doi:10.1016/j.jemermed.2007.10.077.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0736467908000358
Shaw, Elyse, et al. “Sexual Harassment and Assault at Work: Understanding the
Costs.” Institute for Women’s Policy Research, 15 Oct. 2018,
https://iwpr.org/publications/sexual-harassment-work-cost/