“He Offered to Buy Me a Sundress:” Experiences of Harassment and Discrimination Within the Context of Social Work Academic Conferences

As social workers, we value social justice and strive to uphold equal rights and opportunities for all. Nevertheless, harassment and discrimination still occur at social work academic conferences, impeding a person's ability to safely and equitably conduct their job. In response to an incident of harassment that occurred at the 2022 Council on Social Work Education Annual Program Meeting, we conducted a rapid response methodological approach utilizing feminist theoretical frameworks. We received N = 290 responses to an anonymous, online survey distributed at social work conferences and through national social work organization mailing lists. The survey included quantitative questions on the prevalence and nature of harassment and discrimination experienced at social work conferences, how experiences vary based on identity, as well as an open-ended qualitative question to better understand the experiences of harassment and discrimination. To our knowledge, this study marks the first investigation into experiences of harassment and discrimination at social work conferences. Based on our findings, we provide recommendations for academic organizations, social work programs, and individual academics for dismantling the structures and culture that support harassment and discrimination at social work conferences.