Sexual harassment at German medical schools – a national cross-sectional study

Sexual harassment in medical education is a relevant and well-documented issue that adversely affects students’ mental health, academic engagement and professional development. While several single-faculty studies in Germany have already demonstrated its prevalence, nationally comparable data on the circumstances and consequences of sexual harassment have been lacking. This study provides nationwide data on the extent of sexual harassment, its contextual factors, and consequences for medical students. A cross-sectional online survey was distributed via the German Medical Students’ Association (bvmd) to medical students across Germany. The questionnaire provided a definition of sexual harassment based on the German General Act on Equal Treatment, illustrated with examples and covered eight thematic areas, addressing both personal experiences and witnessed incidents. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and logistic regression models. A total of 5,681 students from 44 German Medical Schools participated. 42,1% reported experiencing sexual harassment, with an increase from preclinical years (29.8%) to clinical years (46.8%) and the practical year (66%). Most affected students reported experiencing repeated harassment. Among final-year students, 73.5% of women and 29.3% of men reported experiencing sexual harassment at some point during their studies. The most common perpetrators were patients (93.8%), fellow students (69.2%) and senior physicians (64.1%). Surgical disciplines exhibited the highest rates of harassment (64.9%), and nearly half (46.0%) of affected students reported that harassment influenced their specialty choice. Harassment was primarily reported in the context of nursing internships, elective placements, the practical year, and extracurricular events. Female students indicated that the perpetrators were almost exclusively male, while male students reported a more heterogeneous distribution. Female students also reported significantly greater distress, largely corresponding to their higher frequency of harassment experiences. Sexual harassment affects a substantial proportion of medical students in Germany and has far-reaching consequences. These findings highlight the need to strengthen prevention measures and targeted interventions to create a safe and respectful learning environment.