Participant perpetrated harassment: a scoping review of research staff safety strategies

Participant-perpetrated harassment (PPH), i.e., harassment directed at research staff by research participants, is underrecognized in research. While substantial oversight and resources ensure participant safety, less attention has been paid to research staff safety and well-being. A scoping review of research examining staff safety from PPH, including peer-reviewed articles and gray literature search of Institutional Review Board (IRB) policies, was conducted. Thereview included 32 articles; no IRB policies addressing PPH were found. Publications were primarily reflection or commentary pieces (90.6%) and originated outside the United States (75.0%). Reported forms of PPH described included sexual harassment (56.2%), threats to physical safety (84.4%), racial harassment (6.3%), other appearance related harassment (15.6%), and other inappropriate behaviors (65.6%). Across publications, authors recommended study- and institutional-level safety protocols, risk assessments, and greater support from institutions, IRBs, peers, and supervisors. Findings underscore the need for formalized training, resources, and institutional and IRB level guidelines to support research staff.