Sexual Harassment Prevention in Agriculture: A Formative Evaluation of a Workplace Training Intervention

Abstract

Sexual harassment is an occupational hazard that endangers the health, safety, and livelihood of farmworkers. It is estimated between 50-80% of farmworker women experience workplace sexual harassment (WSH) at some point in their lives. Although numerous WSH training programs are available, limited studies have evaluated the effectiveness of these programs, especially among Spanish-speaking agricultural workers. This study evaluates the effectiveness of a tailored WSH program developed in collaboration with the agricultural community in Oregon and Washington. The evaluation study used a cross-sectional pre-post test design to assess the effectiveness of the training on agricultural workers' knowledge, attitudes, and self-efficacy in relation to WSH, reporting, and bystander intervention. The training intervention was co-designed with farmworkers in Eastern WA and was facilitated by agricultural trainers during four training sessions at the Ag Safety Days events in Washington State. Knowledge test scores for all participants significantly improved between pre and post-tests (p-value < 0.05 | 95% CI: 6.95, 2.64). Participants' test scores were not significantly different based on job, gender, or language. After the training, 14% more participants reported self-efficacy to intervene if they observed harassment. The majority of participants (n=102, 83%) reported that they perceived WSH in agriculture to be common. Only men reported they believed WSH was not common in agriculture consisting of supervisors (n=9, 5%) and workers (n=7, 6%). Findings provide evidence to suggest this training program is effective, but there is a need for additional studies to evaluate the impact of the WSH prevention programs over time.