Buzzfeed speaks with Blackstone about harassment in National Park Service

Amy Blackstone, a professor of sociology at the University of Maine, spoke with Buzzfeed for an article on sexual harassment and discrimination among employees of the National Park Service (NPS). According to the article, a recent federal survey of NPS workers revealed that 39 percent of the workforce has experienced harassment or discrimination on the job. Among those, nearly 75 percent said that they did not report the incidents, many citing that either they did not think that the complaints would make a difference or that they did not trust the process. The NPS employs 22,000 staff and 340,000 volunteers. Blackstone called the trend “especially striking.”

“Working to improve climate and putting structures into place that employees can trust should be top priorities,” Blackstone said. According to the article, in response to the survey, the agency has committed to adding personnel to both the employee and labor relations staff and the ethics staff, as well as to back support groups and training sessions. “Until employees are able to trust that their reports will be taken seriously — and to know that harassment will not be tolerated, the culture of harassment will likely continue,” Blackstone said.