SAFE13 study information

The Survey of Academic Field Experiences study,^[1] also known as the SAFE13 study,^[2] was a survey conducted between February and May 2013 in order to characterize experiences of scientists working at field sites as they relate to sexual harassment and sexual assault. It has had a significant impact on collective responses to sexual harassment and sexual assault in Western academic science.

Published in 2014 by a team of anthropologists, Kathryn B. H. Clancy, Robin G. Nelson, Julienne N. Rutherford and Katie Hinde,^[3] the SAFE13 study is the first empirical investigation into scientists' experiences of harassment during fieldwork.^[4] The researchers identify three key takeaways from their work.^[5] First, women scientists are targeted more often than men, and junior scientists are also more likely to be harassed relative to senior scientists. Second, women are more likely to be harassed by senior staff, while men are harassed by their peers. Third, the majority of field scientists do not know how to report harassment.