Abuse of power and sexual harassment are widespread elements of daily life for doctors working in German hospitals, according to a national survey conducted by the Marburger Bund. The findings, which were presented in Berlin on Tuesday, were based on responses from over 9,000 employed physicians.
Nearly half of those surveyed reported experiencing abuse of power from their medical superiors within the past twelve months. These incidents are often recurrent: 51 percent of affected individuals experienced the abuse multiple times in a year, with 30 percent reporting it monthly and 14 percent reporting it weekly. The abuse of power most frequently originated from male medical superiors. Common forms of this abuse included disrespectful tone, questioning professional competence without factual basis, bullying, or public humiliation. The impact on the victims was significant; many described emotional exhaustion and a desire to leave their jobs. Furthermore, three-quarters of the affected individuals did not report the incidents, citing either the expectation of no effective consequences or fear of professional disadvantages.
Sexual harassment also emerged as a substantial issue. Thirteen percent of respondents indicated that they had experienced such incidents over the past year. These incidents ranged from sexually suggestive comments, unwanted conversations with sexual content, to unwelcome physical proximity. Approximately three-quarters of those who experienced sexual harassment in the last twelve months did so multiple times, with 59 percent reporting multiple times per year, 17 percent reporting multiple times per month, and 6 percent reporting multiple times per week. Eighteen percent reported a single incident during the past year.
The Marburger Bund stressed an urgent need for action. Andreas Botzlar, the second chairman of the Marburger Bund, stated that works councils, complaint departments, and management must collaborate closely and act preventatively when boundaries are crossed. He emphasized that sexual harassment cannot occur without repercussions or even lead to the victim being encouraged to resign. Botzlar concluded by calling for a different culture of leadership within hospitals, noting that managers must be trained for their responsibilities and held more accountable.