Unique Snapshot highlights true state of bullying and harassment

(Posted on 25/06/25)

In advance of the IMO Day of the Seafarer’s focus on ‘My Harassment-Free Ship’, Sailors’ Society is launching a maritime first - a State of the Industry Snapshot focused on bullying and harassment at sea.

The Snapshot is packed with previously unpublished statistics, including those gathered from the maritime charity’s global cadet and ratings conferences and its hugely popular Peer-to-Peer Support Groups.

It also contains the lived experiences of seafarers themselves with data and commentaries from some of the leading organisations and experts who work in this field, including Human Rights at Sea and Safer Waves.

Sailors’ Society CEO, Sara Baade, said: “This Snapshot is unique in providing the most comprehensive and current insight into bullying and harassment at sea. It highlights to the wider maritime industry the challenges it faces and provides simple solutions that can help foster an inclusive and respectful culture that ensures a safe and welcoming environment for seafarers.”

With its foreword from the Secretary-General of the IMO, Arsenio Dominguez, the Snapshot reveals a worrying picture. Active seafarers are up to 10 times more likely to experience and witness bullying compared to those who have never been to sea.

The data also reveals that female cadets are disproportionately affected by bullying and harassment at sea. The number of African females experiencing bullying is more than double that of their male counterparts, for example.

Peer-to-Peer Support Group members reported that the bullying and harassment they experience takes the form of intimidation, verbal abuse and deliberate exclusion or isolation. Some also said they experience hierarchical bullying from more senior officers or their company.

Insights into LGBTQ+ seafarers’ experiences, from their Peer-to-Peer groups, reveal almost 67 per cent experienced bullying or harassment, with more than half reporting not being open at all about their identity on board.

Mr Dominguez writes: “On the Day of the Seafarer 2025, the International Maritime Organization supports Sailors’ Society’s crucial report on bullying and harassment in the maritime sector, aligning closely with our global campaign: “My Harassment-Free Ship”… Let us embrace this call for urgent action and pledge to make every ship harassment-free. Our seafarers deserve nothing less than a safe, inclusive, and supportive workplace”.

Data included from Safer Waves’ research reveals that sexual offences of increased severity, such as rape, also occur at sea and that victims and witnesses rarely report any of these offences. They add that reporting infrequently results in a satisfactory outcome for them.

But the report also seeks solutions and research conducted by the analytical company PsyFyi reveals that having more female seafarers on board can bring attention to bullying and harassment, and that having supportive colleagues and leadership helps crew feel safe.

For more than 200 years, international maritime charity Sailors’ Society has been transforming the lives of seafarers and their families. The charity works to provide practical, emotional and spiritual welfare support 24/7 to today’s 1.9 m seafarers, supporting wellbeing across every area of their lives and giving them the best opportunity to enjoy a fulfilling - and productive - career at sea.