Sexual harassment in Dentistry: prevalence in dental school

Abstract

ObjectiveSexual harassment is unlawful in all work and educational environments in most nations of the world. The goals of this study were to describe the sexual harassment prevalence and to evaluate the experiences and attitudes of undergraduate students in one dental school in Brazil.Material and MethodsAn 18-item questionnaire was administered to 254 dental students with a completion rate of 82% (208). Students were requested to respond to questions about their background and academic level in dental school, their personal experiences with sexual harassment and their observation of someone else being sexually harassed. Bivariate statistical analyses were performed.ResultsFifteen percent of the students reported being sexually harassed by a patient, by a relative of a patient or by a professor. Male students had 3 times higher probability of being sexually harassed than female student [OR=2.910 (1.113-7.611)]. Additionally, 25.4% of the students reported witnessing sexual harassment at the school environment. The majority of students did not feel professionally prepared to respond to unwanted sexual behaviors.ConclusionThese findings demonstrate that sexual harassment can occur in a dental school setting. There is a need for ongoing sexual harassment education programs for students and university staff. Increased knowledge of sexual harassment during graduation can better prepare dental professionals to respond to sexual harassment during their practice.

An International Survey of Female Dental Students’ Perceptions About Gender Bias and Sexual Misconduct at Four Dental Schools

“…Despite the enactment of a Brazilian law in 2001 raising the punishment for sexual harassment to one to two years of jail time, there is still no official legislative act to address sexual discrimination in educational environments 37 . One study conducted at a dental school in Brazil found that 15% of its students had experienced sexual harassment by a patient, relative, or faculty member 10 . That study found that male students were three times more likely to be sexually harassed than female students.…”

“…Studies published from 1992 to 2017 found that sexual harassment was pervasive in dental education, 6 – 10 and one study published in 1994 found evidence of patients’ sexual harassment of their oral health care providers 11 . Reports from dental and dental hygiene students published in the 1990s confirmed that such advances occurred and that students were rarely trained to deal with them effectively 12 – 14 .…”

“…Young women in some segments of Indian society who seek equality are even vulnerable to “honor killing”—family members’ killing of individuals who are considered to bring shame to their families for violation of traditional norms—although younger generations are pushing for the end of traditional practices like that and for equal opportunity for women in both education and employment 22 . In Brazil, a 2009 study of sexual harassment in a dental school found that men as well as women experienced sexual harassment and that nearly a quarter of those surveyed had witnessed sexual harassment 10 . Nearly half of those instances were by faculty members or university staff, reflecting harassment due to a difference in the power gradient.…”

Sexual harassment cases tried in the court in Eskisehir

“…Cinsel taciz "insan onurunu ihlal etme amacına yönelen veya bu sonucu doğuran, istenilmeyen, her türlü cinsel nitelikte sözlü, sözlü olmayan veya özel olarak düşmanca, aşağılayıcı, utandırı-cı ve saldırgan bir ortam yaratan davranış" olarak tanımlanmak-tadır (1,2). Mağdurların psikolojik ve fiziksel sağlığını bozan, eğitim ve iş hayatlarını aksatan, ekonomik yaşamlarını büyük oranda etkileyen bir durumdur (1,3).…”

“…Cinsel taciz tüm dünyada yasalarca cezalandırılmıştır (2,5). Türk Ceza Kanunu'nun 105. maddesinde de, cinsel taciz suçunun, mağdurun şikâyeti üzeri-ne, üç aydan iki yıla kadar hapis cezası ile cezalandırılacağı, suçun hiyerarşi veya hizmet ilişki-sinden kaynaklanan nüfuz kötüye kullanılmak suretiyle ya da aynı işyerinde çalışmanın sağladığı kolaylıktan yararlanılarak işlen-mesi halinde cezanın yarı oranında artırılacağı belirlenmiştir (6).…”