| Abstract [eng] |
Brief Background. Sexual harassment in the workplace, particularly in the healthcare sector, is a sensitive issue concerning occupational health and human rights that not only violates employees’ dignity but also creates a hostile work environment. Although public awareness of this issue is growing, official Lithuanian statistics likely do not reflect the true scale of this phenomenon. This is due to low reporting rates, a lack of trust in institutions, and specific organizational characteristics. Night shifts, intense emotional stress, and constant interaction with patients in inpatient healthcare facilities are risk factors that increase the likelihood of sexual harassment and complicate the identification of and appropriate response to such incidents. The aim of the study. To assess the identification and management of sexual harassment in hospitals. Research objectives. 1. To reveal hospital employees’ experiences with the process of identifying sexual harassment in the professional environment. 2. To identify problematic aspects of the sexual harassment identification process based on hospital employees’ experiences. 3. To reveal the directions of institutional responses to sexual harassment and the barriers to their implementation in hospitals. 4. To assess opportunities for strengthening the prevention of sexual harassment in hospitals, based on staff experiences and proposed measures. Research Methods. A qualitative study was conducted from October 2025 to January 2026 using a semi-structured interview method. The interview questions were formulated based on an analysis of the scientific literature. Throughout the study, the principles of research ethics were applied, and approval was obtained from the Research Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Medicine at Vilnius University. Data were analyzed using inductive qualitative content analysis. The study involved 15 specialists working in Vilnius city hospitals, representing various clinical fields. Results. Hospital staff’s ability to recognize harassment remains fragmented and selective: they easily identify obvious physical acts, but verbal manifestations often go unrecognized. In the absence of clear normative criteria, identification often relies on emotional reaction, while organizational culture and collective norms weaken critical thinking, encouraging the perception of harassment as part of normal daily interactions, and the recognition of this process is further complicated by the normalization, downplaying, tolerance, and social justification of inappropriate behavior, as well as formal and informal hierarchical relationships. Three directions of institutional response emerged: normative-regulatory, structural-administrative, and informational-preventive. Hospital specialists view these institutional response approaches as merely declarative, due to the vagueness of procedures and regulations, a lack of trust and security guarantees, and a culture of silence. Employees suggest strengthening prevention through ongoing education, safe and independent reporting channels, open communication, and the expansion of psychological support. Conclusions. Based on the experiences of hospital staff, the identification of sexual harassment is a complex process involving cognitive, emotional, and sociocultural dimensions. It is complicated by the normalization, downplaying, tolerance, and social justification of inappropriate behavior, as well as hierarchical relationships. Institutional responses in hospitals include regulatory, administrative, and preventive measures, but their effectiveness is limited by institutional barriers. Strengthening prevention is linked to the consistent application of formal practices in daily operations. Keywords: sexual harassment, management, healthcare, nurse, doctor, resident physician. |
