Harassment of newly admitted undergraduates by senior students in a Faculty of Dentistry in Sri Lanka

Figures & data

Table

Practice points

Harassment of new undergraduates by seniors is common. Verbal and emotional abuse is the predominant form of harassment. Males are subjected to verbal sexual harassment more than the females. Female students discuss harassment with others more than the males. Teachers and administrators overestimate the severity of the harassment that new students would experience.

Table 1  Verbal or emotional abuse experienced by the new dental students

	All students	Males	Females	p-Value
Type of verbal/emotional abuse
Yelling/shouting directed at student	31 (50.0)	11 (17.7)	20 (32.3)	0.587
Being assigned work or duties as punishment rather than for educational value	10 (16.1)	2 (3.2)	8 (12.9)	0.478
Being intentionally ignored; being made to feel clearly unwelcome and unwanted	13 (21.3)	8 (13.1)	5 (8.2)	0.008
Racial or ethnic discrimination (e.g. Slurs, jokes, prejudiced remarks, etc.)	7 (11.3)	1 (1.6)	6 (9.7)	0.412
Threats to your physical integrity (e.g. threatening to hit student, to cause others to harm you)	6 (9.8)	3 (4.9)	3 (4.9)	0.364
Effect on student
Had repeated upsetting memories of the event	14 (26.9)	2 (3.8)	12 (23.1)	0.086
Had repeated distressing dreams of the abuse	1 (1.9)	0 (0.0)	1 (1.9)	1.000
Noticed a reduced interest in or enthusiasm for courses/studies	13 (24.5)	6 (11.3)	7 (13.2)	0.285
Had difficulty falling or staying asleep	3 (5.7)	1 (1.9)	2 (3.8)	1.000
Tried to avoid situations or activities that could make student remember the abuse	15 (28.8)	5 (9.6)	10 (19.2)	0.902
Felt irritable, had outbursts of anger	12 (23.1)	7 (13.5)	5 (9.6)	0.049
Felt lonely, cut off from others	8 (15.4)	2 (3.8)	6 (11.5)	0.534
Missed teaching sessions	4 (7.7)	2 (3.8)	2 (3.8)	0.501
Avoided usual social activities/friends	9 (17.3)	5 (9.6)	4 (7.7)	0.146
How abuse was dealt with
Discussed with family/close friends	31 (66.0)	8 (17.0)	23 (48.9)	0.040
Told lecturer/supervisor/student counsellor	1 (2.4)	1 (2.4)	0 (0.0)	0.183
Reported incident to dean's office	–	–	–	–
Complained to the police	–	–	–	–
Did nothing; told no one	9 (22.0)	5 (12.2)	4 (9.8)	0.125

Table 2  Sexual abuse experienced by the new dental students

	All students	Males	Females	p-Value
Type of sexual harassment
Being stared or leered at, or ogled	7 (11.5)	2 (3.3)	5 (8.2)	1.000
Unwelcome sexual comments, jokes; hurtful remarks about body, dress, age, marital status; insulting comments or gossip about sexual preferences or habits	10 (18.4)	7 (11.5)	3 (4.9)	0.010
Showing of pornographic, sexually offensive or degrading pictures	3 (5.0)	3 (5.0)	0 (0.0)	0.039
Unwanted sexual advances, involving unnecessary physical contact (e.g. touching, pinching, patting, etc.)	–	–	–	–
Sexual intimacy, promising/involving exchange of ‘rewards’ for sexual favours	1 (1.6)	1 (1.6)	0 (0.0)	0.344
Unwanted touching of genitals or breasts; non-consensual sex	–	–	–	–
Effect on student
Had repeated upsetting memories of the event	6 (15.8)	2 (5.3)	4 (10.5)	1.000
Had repeated distressing dreams of the abuse	–	–	–	–
Notice a reduced interest in or enthusiasm for courses/studies	4 (10.3)	3 (7.7)	1 (2.6)	0.123
Had difficulty falling or staying asleep	–	–	–	–
Tried to avoid situations or activities that could make student remember the abuse	8 (20.0)	2 (5.0)	8 (15.0)	0.507
Felt irritable, have outbursts of anger	5 (12.8)	3 (7.7)	2 (5.1)	0.329
Felt lonely, cut off from others	2 (5.1)	2 (5.1)	0 (0.0)	0.123
Missed teaching sessions	1 (2.6)	1 (2.6)	0 (0.0)	0.359
Avoided usual social activities/friends	4 (10.3)	2 (5.1)	2 (5.1)	0.609
How abuse was dealt with
Discussed with family/close friends	9 (27.3)	3 (9.1)	6(18.2)	0.663
Told lecturer/supervisor/student advisor	2 (6.5)	1 (3.2)	1 (3.2)	1.000
Reported incident to Dean's office	–	–	–	–
Complained to the police	–	–	–	–
Did nothing; told no one	2 (6.7)	2 (6.7)	0 (0.0)	0.152

Table 3  Association between gender and any abuse experienced

	All students	Males	Females	p-Value
Verbal/emotional abuse
Any type of verbal/emotional abuse	37 (58.7)	13 (61.9)	24 (57.1)	0.717
Any effect of verbal/emotional abuse	23 (62.2)	7 (53.8)	16 (66.7)	0.443
Any action taken to deal with verbal/emotional abuse	34 (91.9)	11 (84.6)	23 (95.8)	0.278
Sexual harassment
Any type of sexual harassment	15 (24.2)	8 (38.1)	7 (17.1)	0.067
Any effect of sexual harassment	10 (66.7)	4 (50.0)	6 (85.7)	0.282
Any action taken to deal with harassment	10 (66.7)	5 (62.5)	5 (71.4)	1.000
Physical abuse
Any type of physical abuse	6 (9.5)	4 (19.0)	2 (4.8)	0.069
Any effect of physical abuse	4 (66.7)	4 (100.0)	0 (0.0)	0.067
Any action taken to deal with physical abuse	3(50.0)	3 (75.0)	1 (7.1)	0.400

Table 4.  Categories of persons responsible for different forms of abuse experienced by new dental students

	Type of abuse
Persons responsible	Verbal /emotional (%)	Sexual (%)	Physical (%)
3rd Year or above male student	17 (26.2)	5 (7.7)	6 (9.2)
3rd Year or above female student	9 (13.8)	–	–
Female lecturer or demonstrator	9 (13.8)	1 (1.5)	–
2nd Year male student	4 (6.2)	3 (4.6)	–
Male lecturer or demonstrator	3 (4.6)	1 (1.5)	–
Outsider	1 (1.5)	–	–
2nd Year female student	–	–	–