Nordic questionnaire opens up new opportunities for analysis and follow-up

National questionnaire studies in the Nordic countries of Denmark, Norway and Sweden have shown major variations in the prevalence of sexual harassment at work. Measurements produce different results depending on the method used and in 2021, researchers in Denmark developed the questionnaire Inventory Workplace Sexual Harassment (IWS) to conduct standardised measurements of workplaces in Denmark. The project IWS-Nordic: A Nordic questionnaire assessing sexual harassment at work developed this further with the aim of creating a reliable, standardised measurement method for comparative research between Nordic countries.

The questionnaire contains a large number of questions in three categories: unwanted sexual attention, gender-based harassment, and sexual coercion. The project’s researchers translated the questionnaire tool into Norwegian, Swedish and English. They then conducted questionnaire surveys in workplaces in Norway and Sweden and analysed the results together with the existing Danish data.

Need for more comparative studies

In the study, prevalence of sexual harassment has been measured in samples of employees in the three countries. The results indicate that Denmark and Norway seem relatively comparable, but that the Swedish questionnaire data differs somewhat from these two other countries. The differences partly concern what the project terms a sexualised workplace climate, in other words, harassment not necessarily directed towards an individual but a general way of talking about sex in an uncomfortable manner, or in a way that makes some people uncomfortable. Further analysis will be needed to be able to state anything with any certainty regarding the aspects in which the countries differ. However, where differences are found, potential explanations might be: the stronger #MeToo movement in Sweden, the partly differing legislation in the countries and differences in workplace culture, argues Ida E H Madsen, Senior Researcher at the National Research Centre for the Working Environment in Denmark and head of the IWS Nordic project.

“The major contribution the project makes is that there is now a standardised questionnaire in three Nordic languages that enables us to measure sexual harassment in workplaces and compare it consistently,” says Ida E H Madsen. “Then the material indicates that the Nordic countries are not as alike in every aspect, and that there are some cultural differences that we will be better able to shed light on in the future.”

Good starting point for workplace health and safety

Another aim of IWS Nordic was to give workplaces a more extensive and nuanced picture of the prevalence of sexual harassment. Because it can be difficult to incorporate the wide-ranging survey as part of ongoing health and safety efforts in the workplace, the project has also produced a short version. Ida E. H. Madsen explains that this can be used to launch, survey, and follow up health and safety work on sexual harassment.

“It enables workplaces to start conversations on ‘what problems do we have?’ What experiences do people have here?’,” she says. “Of course, this doesn’t go far enough but it’s a good place to start. After that, tools for dialogue and conversations about boundaries need to be applied, and perhaps a review of the policies in place in the workplace and whether there are enough preventive measures and follow-up.”

Earlier national questionnaire studies indicate that the problem of sexual harassment at work is widespread but, in the workplaces studied in the project, the first reaction is often ‘Sexual harassment? That doesn’t happen here,’ Ida E. H. Madsen explains.

“We have used this questionnaire in many workplaces in Denmark, Norway and Sweden now and not a single one of them has come back with the figure being zero, far from it,” she says.

Conversations about boundaries and definitions

There are several different definitions of sexual harassment in the Nordic countries and in Europe. The focus varies but what they all have in common is that they encompass behaviours that are unwanted, sexual or sex-related and which are experienced as offensive by the recipient.

“The key here is the issue of sexual or sex-related, because sex-based harassment isn’t necessarily sexual, but relates to sex or gender,” says Ida E. H. Madsen.

She emphasises how important it is to have conversations in the workplace about what sexual harassment, unwanted sexual attention and gender-based harassment are.

“There are cases of sexual harassment at work that are clearly criminal offences, but cases where there is no recourse under the law can also be very unpleasant for targets. If you as a manager want a good work environment in which employees are happy, you also have to tackle behaviours that are making people feel uncomfortable,” says Ida E. H. Madsen.

“We have used this questionnaire in many workplaces in Denmark, Norway and Sweden now and not a single one of them has come back with the figure being zero, far from it.

Ida E. H. Madsen, National Research Centre for the Working Environment

Key messages from the project

More research is needed that studies the effect of preventive measures against sexual harassment. Many interventions are put in place but there is far too little research into what actually works.
Research shows negative health impacts for targets of sexual harassment, such as depression and attempts to take their own life, but more studies are needed of mental health impacts over a longer period.

More about the project

The project IWS-Nordic: A Nordic questionnaire assessing sexual harassment at work was granted funding in the research initiative’s first call geared towards ongoing research able to add a Nordic dimension to its project.

Project partners

The National Research Centre for the Working Environment (NFA), Denmark (primary applicant), the National Institute of Occupational Health (STAMI), Norway, the Stress Research Institute, Stockholm University, Sweden, and the National Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Denmark.

IWS-Nordic was based on the Danish research project Unwanted sexual attention from managers and colleagues, 2018–2023, National Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, the National Research Centre for the Working Environment, COWI A/S, Anerkende Psykolog Praksis and NIRAS, headed by Maj Britt Dahl Nielsen, Senior Researcher at the National Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark.

Nordic questionnaire ­opens up new opportunities for analysis and ­follow-up