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Diversity and inclusion

Diversity and inclusion

Bullying and harassment rife in astronomy and geophysics, finds poll

27 Jul 2021
Sexual harassment policy torn in half
A survey by the Royal Astronomical Society reveals that 44% of respondents had been bullied or harassed at work in the previous two years. (Courtesy: iStock/Kameleon007)

Astronomy and geophysics have a systemic bullying and harassment problem, the effects of which are disproportionately felt by women and individuals belonging to minority groups. That is according to an investigation by the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS), which has also found that younger researchers were more likely to be the victim of bullying than their more senior counterparts.

Commissioned by the RAS Committee on Diversity in Astronomy and Geophysics, the survey asked recipients whether they had witnessed or been subjected to workplace bullying or harassment over the last two years, if they felt their institution did enough to combat such behaviours and whether they felt treated with dignity and respect in their position.

The survey – which was distributed in spring 2020 – received 661 replies, of whom 390 reported being based in the UK, and 100 in Europe. Around half, meanwhile, were RAS members. The results revealed that 44% of respondents had been bullied or harassed at work in the previous two years – and that victims of this behaviour were found in all demographic groups analysed.

However, some demographics were worse off than others. Women and non-binary persons were around 50% more likely to be bullied than men, for example, while both disabled and black or ethnic minority individuals were 40% and 37%, more likely, respectively, to be mistreated than their non-disabled or white peers. Additionally, half of LGBTQ+ respondents reported having been bullied at least once in the previous 12 months, and 12% of bisexual astronomers reported incidents occurring on at least a weekly basis.

Feeling pushed out

Many respondents who had either witnessed or been on the receiving end of harassment wrote that they felt unable to report the incidents to their institutional authorities – with reasons cited being the power imbalance between them and their persecutor, a lack of available support, or even being dissuaded to do so by the nature of policies and structures involved.

The results from the survey are very concerning, and we must act to change this unacceptable situation

Emma Bunce

“It’s bleak – and sadly somewhat unsurprising – but this is unequivocal evidence to show we need to improve the workplace culture in academia,” says RAS diversity officer Aine O’Brien, who conducted the survey. “We have a well-reported diversity problem in [science] and this does nothing to help. Women and minorities are feeling pushed out. By shining a light like this…it means no institution or research sub-field can say ‘it doesn’t happen here’. We have a collective responsibility to address this.”

O’Brien speculates that future steps to tackle the problems could involve an inquiry into the issue, additional funding to support grassroots minority groups in the field or trying to encourage funding councils to factor bullying reports into their decision-making processes (although some have previously expressed reluctance to do this).

The team also notes that respondents on non-permanent contracts were more likely to report having been the victims of workplace harassment. Other concerning findings from the study include that most respondents with disabilities felt that they were less likely than their peers to be treated with dignity and respect at work – while 17% reported receiving bullying and harassment on a weekly basis.

As the first of its kind in these two fields, the study is unable to show whether the situation is changing, although future iterations of the survey may be able to provide a more long-term perspective. However, O’Brien notes that the results broadly mirror findings from a census last year by the Space Skills Alliance, in which women, ethnic minorities, LGBTQ+ people and those with disabilities were less likely to report feeling welcome working in the space sector.

“The results from the survey are very concerning, and we must act to change this unacceptable situation,” says RAS president Emma Bunce. “[The society] is committed to working alongside the community to urgently improve the environment in astronomy and geophysics.”

The full findings of the survey are expected to be published later this year.

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