Photo Credit: kellyvandellen
There’s no time like summer to enjoy the great outdoors! National parks across the nation see an increase in staffing and attendance as people flock to their sites for hiking, camping, and all sorts of summer fun. However, national parks have had their share of controversies…particularly from their employees. Sexual harassment and assault occur across fields and sectors, and national parks are no exception. For National Park and Recreation Month, we’re discussing the unique factors that make park and campground employees more vulnerable to sexual misconduct and our recommendations to make these parks environments safer from sexual harm.
Sexual harassment and assault at national parks have been longstanding issues amongst park staff for decades. The National Park Service ranked 385th out of 459 federal agencies scored in the 2023 Best Places to Work in the Federal Government survey, maintaining its average placement in the bottom 25% since 2015. This poor ranking is a combination of factors including leadership, pay, and work-life balance. Digging a little deeper, it is easy to see that a toxic work culture and insufficient measures to prevent sexual misconduct and protect survivors in staff also contributes to these low rankings.
According to a 2016 survey of workforce behavior, “38.7 percent of the Park Service respondents complained about some form of harassment. Slightly more than 19 percent reported gender harassment, and 10.4 percent reported sexual harassment.” Like all surveys, these findings likely still don’t cover all instances of harassment, especially sexual harassment, when it’s already underreported by survivors. When survivors don’t come forward, it’s often due to a belief that they won’t be believed, a fear of retaliation, and a mistrust of the organizations that would handle their reports.
In 2021, High Country News reported that the Park Service buried its own study on harassment. This, they write, was the latest in a longstanding issue in the agency’s handling of workplace harassment:
“A December 2016 High Country News investigation found that, for decades, the National Park Service has failed to protect its workers from sexual misconduct. In 2000, the agency surveyed employees about gender discrimination in its parks, but that report, as HCN reported, was never distributed and no meaningful action was taken. Conversations with more than 50 people during HCN’s yearlong investigation revealed that the agency has repeatedly failed employees — especially women — at every stage of the reporting and investigation process. Its internal culture was self-reinforcing: A culture of machismo with a history of retaliation against employees who spoke out meant that few people were willing to do so.”
So, what are the factors that make park employees vulnerable to sexual harm?
Geographic Isolation
Employees at national parks may go to settings that are very remote, with limited transportation options and internet connectivity. Perpetrators take advantage of a victim’s limitations created by their environment to enact harm.
Organizational Culture that Minimizes Sexual Misconduct
Patriarchal structures often lead to widespread gender-based violence. The Huffington Post published a comprehensive write-up of how the Park Service and Forest Service struggle to combat this issue, and that it’s stemmed from generations of sexist workplace behaviors and structures.
Seasonal/Temporary Jobs Exacerbate Power Dynamics
It can be difficult for survivors to come forward about harm inflicted by their superiors, and this dynamic is only exacerbated for park employees working seasonal/temporary jobs. These jobs often offer less protections at a lower pay, and employees may fear retribution when their standing at the organization is already vulnerable.
At RALIANCE, we believe that everyone can play a role in preventing sexual harassment and abuse and become an ally to survivors. Whether it’s the national parks or local campgrounds, organizations that work in the great outdoors can make meaningful changes in the name of safety. Below are some of our recommendations.
Use RALIANCE’s Taxonomy to Better Process Claims
RALIANCE is proud to have partnered with corporate clients that have used our taxonomy to better their claim review process. Harassment and assault encompass a wide range of behaviors, and utilizing our categorization tool is just one way to ensure claims are processed seriously and without ambiguity.
Partner with a 3rd Party Hotline
In park and campground settings, reporting options are too often limited to the organization itself. For employees who may fear retribution from their employer, it would be beneficial to have a 3rd party hotline to connect with in emergency situations and submit reports.
Increase Transparency
Harassment and assault happen in organizations across fields and sectors, but not everyone is willing to admit it publicly. Increasing transparency about the state of workplace safety and the measures that an organization is willing to take to protect their employees is an incredibly important step in rebuilding and maintaining faith in that organization.
Diversity Leadership
Harassment and assault manifests differently for different communities, which is why it is important for organizational leadership to be diverse and willing to learn about the communities of which they are not a part. We would encourage parks and campgrounds to consider recruiting to a diverse set of communities and partnering with local organizations that cater to the needs of minorities to better serve all their staff.
Communicate with Other Organizations to Prevent Perpetrator Re-Hiring
An employer, and the staff working for that employer, deserve to know that their colleagues will be safe and respectful employees to everyone at the organization. Too often, we see that perpetrators who commit sexual harm at a park have either been transferred to or individually moved on to another. We would highly recommend that parks and campgrounds notify similar employers in the area and state about this perpetrator to prevent them leveraging the same vulnerabilities at these settings to re-offend.
Treat All Reports with Compassion
The most important step of all that an organization can take is to be a true ally to survivors. That means that all reports should be met with compassion, serious consideration, and a commitment to restoring the survivor’s physical and mental well-being. After all, everyone deserves to know that they will be respected and defended at work by their colleagues and the organization at large.
Parks and campgrounds should be places of learning and fun. This summer, we hope to see these employers commit to that spirit and make their workplaces safe and respectful for everyone who works there.
RALIANCE is a trusted adviser for organizations committed to building cultures that are safe, equitable, and respectful. RALIANCE offers unparalleled expertise in serving survivors of sexual harassment, misconduct, and abuse which drives our mission to help organizations across sectors create inclusive environments for all. For more information, please visit www.RALIANCE.org.
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