Workplace sexual violence among seafarers: an occupational health perspective
The Global Maritime Conference (GMC’26), İzmir, Türkiye, 28 - 29 Eylül 2026, (Özet Bildiri)
- Yayın Türü: Bildiri / Özet Bildiri
- Basıldığı Şehir: İzmir
- Basıldığı Ülke: Türkiye
- Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Background
Sexual violence is recognised as a pattern of behaviour ranging from uncontrolled disrespect and sexist jokes to serious physical assaults. The literature generally classifies it into threecategories: sexual harassment, sexual assault, and sexual coercion.
Objectives
This review aims to examine workplace sexual violence among seafarers in terms of prevalence, risk factors, and occupational health outcomes.
Methods
This study was prepared as a traditional review. The relevant literature was screened and synthesised within the framework of health outcomes specific to the maritime environment.
Results
Sexual violence on board occurs in verbal, non-verbal, physical, and digital forms. Existing studies indicating the prevalence of sexual violence among seafarers are quite limited. InFrance, 65.5% of women and 38.2% of men reported having experienced sexual harassment during their seafaring careers; in Denmark, the rate of those reporting having been subjected to sexual assault on merchant ships in the previous year was 2.5%, whilst the rate of those who had experienced sexual harassment was 10.8%. Because seafaring is a way of life, sexual violence in the workplace is particularly devastating. Victims are isolated with their abusers for months, often 24 hours a day. Power imbalances are one of the main causes of this situation. The literature indicates that perpetrators are often senior officers; junior crew members and trainees, however, are reported to be in a more vulnerable position, as they findit difficult to challenge orders for fear of damaging their careers due to the hierarchical structure and asymmetrical power relations. Shared communal living areas, where privacy is lacking, are frequently exploited for harassment or voyeurism. Sexual violence has profound and multifaceted effects on seafarers’ occupational health. Victims frequently develop depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Reported emotional effects include widespread feelings of fear, shame, humiliation, anger, and helplessness. Suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts occur. Violence undermines self-esteem. Some victims report such a severe loss of self-esteem that they lose the motivation even for basic self-care. Physically, they experience sleep disorders, significant drops in energy levels, muscle tension, headaches, migraines, systemic disorders, and stress-related illnesses. The development of cognitive impairments increases human error due to an inability to function at full mental and operational capacity. It is one of the greatest obstacles to professional development and the maintenance of a diverse workforce. It is common to see a turn to substance use as a result of career abandonment, social withdrawal, and unhealthy coping strategies. Furthermore, adverse health and safety outcomes extend beyond the primary victim, causing witness trauma, secondary trauma in responders, and institutional erosion.
Conclusions
In this context, combating sexual violence is of vital importance for improving occupational health and safe operations on ships. Given the potential health consequences, there is a need for further research into the prevalence, risk factors, health outcomes, and prevention of sexual violence.