Risiko for vold, trusler og seksuelle krænkelser blandt unge 15-17 årige i hotel- og restaurationsbranchen

BackgroundThis study, which was carried out for the Danish Business Authority, evaluates the Section 27 of the Restaurant Act on the employment of young people aged 15-17 in places where alcohol is served.AimThe purpose of this report is to investigate whether young people aged 15-17 are particularly exposed to violence, threats and sexually harassing behavior compared to other age groups when they are employed in places where alcohol is served.Sexual harassment in the workplace is a multifaceted and complex phenomenon, and we will briefly account for the definition used in this report. Within research on sexual harassment, there is a distinction between three different categories of behaviors: 1) gender harassment, 2) unwanted sexual attention, and 3) coercion. Gender harassment covers acts such as derogatory comments about men or women, and exclusion from activities because of one’s gender or sexuality. Unwanted sexual attention covers unwanted flirting or touches, while coercion encompasses being asked for sexual favors in exchange for a reward (e.g. employment, raise in wage, or promotion), or being exposed to sexual abuse like rape or attempted rape. In this report, the term sexual harassment is used as an umbrella term that cover incidents of gender harassment, unwanted sexual attention, and coercion. Work-related violence covers incidents of physical violence against the employee. In hotels and restaurants, customers, guests or colleagues are the typical offenders in cases of violence or threats. Threats of violence occur when an employee is exposed to behavior that might provoke fear or anxiety of exposure to violence, which could potentially threaten the employee’s life, health or wellbeing, and thus change the behavior of the exposed employee.