Workplace Sexual Harassment From Employers, Supervisors and Co-Workers Towards Dental Hygienists

This study explored the prevalence and predictors of workplace sexual harassment (SH) from employers, supervisors and co-workers towards dental hygienists.

Survey research was conducted with a convenience sample of dental hygienists in the United States and Canada (n = 372). The validated Sexual Experiences Questionnaire-Department of Defense-Shortened (SEQ-DOD-S) was utilised to assess the prevalence of workplace SH experiences over 24 months with an open-ended question about career-wide SH experiences. Descriptive, correlation and regression analyses were used.

The completion rate was 77.4% (n = 288). About 40% of participants had experienced workplace SH from employers, supervisors or co-workers. Male employers were the primary perpetrators of SH, with most respondents reporting 1-10 (80.7%) acts of SH. The most common forms of SH were sexist behaviour (43.1%), crude or offensive behaviour (37.5%), unwanted sexual attention (17.7%) and sexual coercion (6.6%). Predictors of experiencing sexist behaviour were age (B = -0.40, p = 0.003, OR [odds ratio] = 0.96), entry-level dental hygiene degree (B = -1.11, p = 0.03, OR = 0.33) and highest degree earned (B = 0.68, p = 0.04, OR = 1.97). The predictor of unwanted sexual behaviour was age (B = -0.052, p = 0.26, OR = 0.949). For every 1-year increase in age, the odds of experiencing sexist behaviour decreased by 4%, and the odds of experiencing unwanted sexual attention decreased by 5%.

Findings suggest a high prevalence of workplace SH from male employers, supervisors and co-workers towards clinical dental hygienists in the sample. Increasing age and entry-level dental hygiene degree suggest the need for workplace education and policies to address sexual harassment with particular attention to younger dental hygienists.