This is revealed in the latest version of the survey Bullying and sexual harassment in the Armed Forces. In the survey, employees and soldiers in the primary service were asked a number of questions about bullying, sexual harassment and reporting. The survey was carried out this winter for the third time by the Norwegian Defense Research Institute (FFI). The figures show that there are big differences between men and women. 45 per cent of the women had experienced sexual harassment in the past year from another person serving in the Armed Forces. For men, the figure was 14 percent. The figures show little improvement compared to the previous survey: Of all those asked, 22 per cent answered that they had experienced sexual harassment. The previous survey in 2020 also showed 22 percent. In this survey, 45 per cent of the women answered that they had experienced sexual harassment. In 2020, the figure was 46 percent. Among the men who responded, 14 per cent say they have experienced sexual harassment. This is the same proportion as in 2020. This recent survey also shows that the young women have experienced sexual harassment to a much greater extent. More than half of the women under 30 answered that they had experienced it (59 per cent). In this group, the proportion has fallen somewhat from 63 per cent in 2020. Survey Bullying and sexual harassment in the Armed Forces 2022 Survey carried out among all employees of the Armed Forces and all conscripts in the initial service who had served for at least six months. FFI has developed the questions and analyzed the results on behalf of the Norwegian Armed Forces. 10,891 responded to the survey in the period November 2022 to January 2023. This corresponded to a response rate of 48 per cent. It is the third time the topic has been investigated in the Norwegian Armed Forces. Similar surveys have previously been carried out in 2018 and 2020. Sexual harassment: The survey has asked a number of questions relating to sexual harassment, unwanted sexual acts/attention and abuse. The questions are asked with the following introductory wording: “During the past twelve months, have you experienced, either during or outside of duty, someone who serves in the Armed Forces,…”. Bullying: The survey has asked a number of questions related to bullying. The questions are asked with the following introductory wording: “During the last six months, have you experienced, either during or outside duty hours, someone who serves in the Armed Forces…” The new fresh figures will be presented by the Armed Forces on Thursday morning. news is aware that the survey was shared with everyone in the Armed Forces on the agency’s intranet on Wednesday. The Defense Forum has also discussed the investigation. Fagbladet mentioned the survey first, and wrote that women in the Armed Forces experience more bullying overall than men. The FFI survey shows that 11 per cent of employees and 24 per cent of privates/students have experienced some form of bullying in the last six months, they write. The Chief of Defense’s zero tolerance The latest investigation has been carried out at the same time as there has been a strong focus on sexual harassment and abuse in the Armed Forces. Chief of Defense Eirik Kristoffersen has had a stated zero tolerance for bullying and sexual harassment in the Armed Forces. The last time figures from the Armed Forces’ own investigation were presented, he emphasized: – We have zero tolerance for bullying and sexual harassment in the Armed Forces. That goal stands. Together we are strong and together we must fight bullying and sexual harassment. We will take action, said the defense chief. After this, news has published a number of cases about abuse and abuse in the Armed Forces. Among them has been the story of five women who told in reports and interrogations about sexual harassment from a superior officer, an employee who experienced being pressured by her boss who wanted her to lie to the police and Silje Falmår who told about sexual harassment and abuse in the first service. The Norwegian Armed Forces have also allowed themselves to be scrutinized by external consultants in the company PWC. They concluded, among other things, that there were a number of shortcomings in the notification systems in the Armed Forces. Major General Elisabeth Michelsen has been given the task of following up on the challenges of bullying and sexual harassment. Photo: Øyvind Bye Skille / news The Norwegian Armed Forces and Eirik Kristoffersen have then promised new routines and changes in the organisation. In May, he also appointed a separate general to lead the work against bullying, sexual harassment and to improve notification handling. Former head of the Home Guard, Major General Elisabeth Michelsen, was given the task. news has requested a comment from the Norwegian Defense Forces on the figures in the survey. They do not want to comment on the survey before it is presented on Thursday morning. Started with frightening figures on rape The first major survey of bullying and sexual harassment in the Armed Forces (the MOST survey) was carried out in 2018. At the time, it made big headlines that 160 people answered that they had been raped or attempted to during the past year raped in the Armed Forces. The then Chief of Defense Haakon Bruun-Hanssen stated that he was surprised by the scale of rape cases despite a number of measures. He said it therefore made him “extra pissed”. In 2018, only two rape cases were reported to the police from the Norwegian Armed Forces. Nevertheless, news’s calculations showed that in the survey there were more than 40 people who answered that they had been raped. It was then decided that the Norwegian Armed Forces should carry out the survey every two years. Few reported In 2020, a new survey showed, among other things, that only 20 per cent of those who had experienced sexual harassment had chosen to report it. The follow-up survey in 2020 showed a slight decrease in the proportion who reported that they had experienced sexual harassment. The MOST surveys have been answered by around 10,000 people each time in 2020 and now in 2022. In the new survey, which was carried out in the period November 2022 to January 2023, it appears that the proportion who actually report cases of bullying is decreasing. The proportion who answered that they had reported a case of bullying went from 41 per cent (2020) to 38 per cent (2022). The proportion who report sexual harassment is in practice stagnant at 20 per cent (2020) and now 21 per cent (2022). In 2020, several expressed that the numbers were still far too negative for an organization that has zero tolerance for bullying and sexual harassment. In 2020, a total of 22 percent of both women and men answered that they had experienced sexual harassment. 46 percent of the women stated that they had experienced sexual harassment in the past year from someone serving in the Armed Forces. The researchers behind the survey wrote that there were a number of uncertainties linked to the decline in the numbers. Among other things, because many who responded in 2020 did so while society was shut down during the corona pandemic. Hello! Do you have any input for us? Do you know of other matters in the Armed Forces that news should look at? Or do you know more about this case? Feel free to contact us by e-mail if you have input. You can also send us input, tips and information encrypted and secure via news’s extra secure notification reception – see how to submit via news’s SecureDrop here. news’s journalists have previously made several cases about conditions in the Armed Forces – among other things about whistle-blowing, about the senior sergeant who was tried to be pressured to lie to the police, the helicopter squadron commander who was tried to be pressured out of his job, the women who told about sexual harassment from a colonel, the lieutenant colonel who said that she was asked to write about reports, about trampling by Norwegian officers on UN missions in South Sudan and about Silje Falmår who told about bullying, harassment and abuse during his initial service. We are always interested in new information that enables us to shine a spotlight on the defense sector. So just get in touch with us. Marit Higraff, Tormod Strand, Christine Svendsen, Øyvind Bye SkilleJournalists at NRKSend me an e-mail
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Still a large proportion of women who experience sexual harassment in the Armed Forces – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
