Flinders University research indicates that most employees who face sexual harassment do not report it, despite legal reforms and updated workplace policies.
Only around 20 per cent of cases are formally reported, raising questions about the reliability of current reporting frameworks.
The first study, published in Work & Stress, surveyed more than 200 Australian workers who had experienced or witnessed workplace sexual harassment.
Lead author Dr Annabelle Neall said fear of retaliation was only part of the explanation.
“The decision not to report wasn’t just about external risks like losing a job, it was also deeply tied to internal struggles,” Neall said.
“People weigh up whether reporting will make things better or worse and they often concluded it wasn’t worth the emotional toll, the risk to their reputation, or the likelihood that nothing would change.”
The study identified three psychological needs shaping reporting decisions: autonomy, competence and relatedness. Where processes are unclear, adversarial or perceived as unsafe, those needs are undermined.
Professor Lydia Woodyatt said reporting is rarely experienced as a neutral step. “Victims and witnesses feel that they’re having to choose between protecting themselves and speaking up, and that pressure makes the decision emotionally charged and very difficult.”
Participants raised consistent concerns: uncertainty over whether behaviour “counted”, fear of being labelled a troublemaker, and scepticism that reporting would lead to action.
“If people believe the system won’t provide them justice or protect them, they stay silent. That silence isn’t about indifference, it’s about survival,” Woodyatt said.
A second study, published in Aggression and Violent Behavior, reviewed decades of research and found little evidence that reporting systems have improved outcomes.
“For decades, organisations have focused on legal compliance and punitive measures, but these approaches often fail to address the cultural and psychological barriers that keep people silent,” Neall said.
The review also warned that mandatory reporting schemes can undermine autonomy and trust.
“People told us they didn’t want revenge, but rather that they wanted assurance that it wouldn’t happen again,” Neall said.
“If reporting feels unsafe, ineffective, and isolating, people won’t do it.”