Four out of five artists complain of sexual assault

Four out of five artists complain of sexual assault

Four out of five performing artists have experienced abuse of power and sexual harassment in the past two years. Verbal and physical harassment are the most common. The Swiss industry association wants to take countermeasures with various measures.

Seventy-nine percent of those who participated in the survey had suffered sexual assault in the 24 months prior to the survey, the Swiss Theater Association (SBKV) wrote in a statement Thursday. A total of 577 incidents were mentioned, 400 of them in women and 177 in men. 331 of the 1,160 SBKV members participated in the survey.

At 53 percent, the most common type is verbal bullying, followed by physical bullying (22 percent), such as “accidental” body contact. Rape was reported three times. The perpetrators were men in 81 percent of the cases and women in 9 percent. 79 percent of those surveyed did not experience any consequences from the incidents.

Almost two thirds of the participants come from the current branch. Theater artists and actresses between the ages of 30 and 49 are the most affected.

“Creative geniuses who can pay for anything”

If you take into account that just under a third of the members participated in the survey, you can imagine the unreported number and the suffering behind it, Salva Leutenegger from SBKV was quoted in the message. She locates an imbalance of power behind the problem. Perpetrators are mostly in positions of power and are often viewed as “creative geniuses who can pay for anything.”

According to the “shocking survey”, the SBKV wants to take various countermeasures. Establish an anonymous reporting platform to which those affected can report. The “hands-free” campaign aims to publicize the platform in drama schools, in the cloakroom or during auditions.

In addition, an agency was commissioned to carry out an investigation “to shed light on this dark corner of the stage.” Over the next several months, stories and rumors will be investigated and facts resolved.

Clean internally

SBKV also hopes that houses, agencies and production companies will be cleaned internally “before they have to pay dearly for it.” The MeToo campaign in Hollywood proved that a single published incident could drive entire companies and established institutions to the abyss.

Member workshops are also planned. Here you can learn how to avoid these situations and how to defend yourself legally.

(hour / sda)