The Considering Department of Defense Occupations in Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault Research executive note describes why sexual harassment and sexual assault risk may differ across occupations in the Department of Defense, briefly reviews prior research on these differences, and highlights opportunities for future research that could support the development of occupationally informed prevention and response efforts and help ensure a safe workplace for all Department of Defense members in any occupation. This executive note draws from data from the congressionally mandated Workplace and Gender Relations (WGR) surveys; the DoD’s primary resource for estimating prevalence rates of these behaviors in its Active and Reserve components and civilian employee population.
Key takeaways from the Considering Department of Defense Occupations in Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault Research executive note are: occupational characteristics and the impact of those characteristics within unit- or organization-level culture and climate may impact risk for sexual harassment and sexual assault; individuals in traditionally masculine occupations tend to be at greater risk for sexual harassment and/or sexual assault; and understanding the characteristics of the most and least at-risk DoD occupations and how those characteristics interact with unit climate could inform prevention and response efforts.