Workplace harassment group Jikjang Gapjil 119 releases findings on workplace sex crime experiences and secondary harm awareness; 40% of harassment victims say they stayed silent

[Getty Images Bank]
[Getty Images Bank]

Seven in 10 workers believe they would face secondary harm if they reported a sex crime at their workplace, according to a new survey.

Jikjang Gapjil 119, a workers' rights group focused on workplace harassment, released Sunday the results of a survey titled "Workplace Sex Crime Experiences and Awareness of Secondary Harm," conducted by polling firm Global Research. The survey polled 1,000 workers aged 19 and older nationwide from Aug. 1 to Aug. 7.

The results showed that 72.3 percent of respondents believed secondary harm was likely if a workplace sex crime were reported or raised as an issue.

Among those who expected secondary harm, the most common reason cited was a belief that victims and perpetrators would not be properly separated or that victim protection measures would not be adequately implemented, at 37.2 percent. That was followed by a perception that workplace culture tends to assign some blame to victims (36.2 percent), and a belief that perpetrators would not face proper disciplinary action (30.2 percent).

The fear of secondary harm affected not only victims but also colleagues who witness such incidents. Some 65.4 percent of respondents said witnessing a coworker suffer secondary harm would influence their own decision to speak up in the future.

Some 20.3 percent of respondents said they had experienced sexual harassment at work, and 40.9 percent of those who had been harassed said they endured it in silence or pretended not to notice.

The most common perpetrators were direct supervisors below executive level, at 32.5 percent, followed by colleagues of similar rank (23.6 percent) and employers (14.8 percent).

Some 15.4 percent of respondents said they had experienced sexual assault or groping at work, while 13.9 percent said they had been stalked.

Only 59.2 percent said they believed their company would protect them from workplace sex crimes.

"Although the law stipulates obligations such as victim protection and disciplinary action against perpetrators, these are not functioning properly on the ground," Jikjang Gapjil 119 said, adding that organizational cultures that dismiss sex crimes as personal disputes or treat those who report them as troublemakers must also change.

The group also called for post-incident monitoring and improvements to workplace culture that focus not only on disciplining perpetrators but also on ensuring victims can safely return to work and preventing recurrence.


yg@heraldcorp.com