Campus News

Study: Anthropology students likely to face harassment, abuse in the field

A study out of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign found that anthropology students are likely to face sexual harassment, abuse or assaults while doing anthropological fieldwork.

Out of a group of about 120 men and women who had performed anthropological fieldwork, 59 percent reported they experienced or witnessed sexual harassment or assault from an on-site manager, project director or peer at the field research site. According to the study, most of the perpetrators were superiors to their victims.

Kathryn Clancy, a University of Illinois anthropology professor who helped conduct the study, said most students consider this kind of field research a stepping stone in their careers.