Sexual harassment from older residents at long-term care facilities: is it really part of the job?

Objectives: To explore the extent to which staff members in long-term care facilities (LTCF) have experienced situations of sexual harassment, how they commonly and ideally manage the situation, and how their work position influences their responses. Design: Cross-sectional quantitative study, using...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Villar Posada, Feliciano, Fabà Ribera, Josep, Serrat Fernández, Rodrigo, Celdrán, Montserrat, Martínez, Teresa
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2020
País:España
Institución:Universidad de Barcelona
Repositorio:Dipòsit Digital de la UB
OAI Identifier:oai:diposit.ub.edu:2445/225643
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/2445/225643
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Assetjament sexual
Residències de persones grans
Sexual harassment
Old age homes
Descripción
Sumario:Objectives: To explore the extent to which staff members in long-term care facilities (LTCF) have experienced situations of sexual harassment, how they commonly and ideally manage the situation, and how their work position influences their responses. Design: Cross-sectional quantitative study, using the vignette technique. Method: A total of 2,196 staff-members who were currently working in Spanish LTCF participated in the study. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire. Questions regarding sexual harassment were analysed by a vignette that described a case of sexual harassment. Participants had to choose common and best practices for dealing with the case, and report the frequency with which they had experienced similar situations. Results: The results indicate that 29.9% of participants had experienced an episode of sexual harassment in a LTCF similar to the one presented in the vignette. Responses to the situation were diverse and there were significant differences between common and perceived best practices. Differences were also found depending on the work position of the participant (manager, technical staff or nursing assistant). Conclusions: There is a need for a fuller recognition of the sexual needs of older people. However, the presence of inappropriate sexual behavior must also be acknowledged. The right of staff to work in an environment free of harassment must be respected. The need for explicit institutional guidelines and training opportunities is discussed.