Sexual harassment in the training of paramedics in Germany

Prevalence, impacts and organisational context: a mixed-methods study

Abstract

Sexual harassment is a structural problem within the healthcare sector, with consequences for both individuals and organisations (Schröttle et al., 2019). Whilst numerous national and international studies examine the phenomenon in general, there remain gaps in the research regarding the specific situation of trainee paramedics in Germany (Schröttle et al., 2019).
The aim of this study was to systematically analyse the prevalence, forms, contextual factors, reporting behaviour and effects of sexual harassment during training. To this end, a mixed-methods design was chosen, comprising a literature review, a quantitative online survey (n = 243) and a qualitative content analysis of open-ended responses.
The results show that 65 per cent of respondents reported personal experiences of sexual harassment during their training. Verbal assaults were the most common form, with ambulance stations identified as the main locations where they occurred. Female trainees were affected significantly more often, whilst male victims increasingly described experiences of trivialisation. A considerable proportion of incidents were not reported.
The findings illustrate that sexual harassment in paramedic training is not an isolated incident, but a structurally entrenched problem.