By Matt Harrington, BCBA · Behaviorist Book Club · April 2026 · 12 min read

Reporting Sexual Harassment to the BACB: Identification, Ethics, and Professional Accountability

Overview & Clinical Significance

Sexual harassment is a persistent and serious problem in the field of behavior analysis. Despite the fact that the profession is predominantly composed of women, harassment continues to occur with troubling regularity. Hana Jurgens' presentation confronts this reality directly, providing behavior analysts with the knowledge and framework needed to identify sexual harassment, understand the ethical obligations surrounding it, and take effective action through the BACB reporting process.

The clinical significance of this topic extends beyond the immediate harm to individuals who experience harassment. When sexual harassment goes unaddressed in professional settings, it creates toxic work environments that compromise the quality of services delivered to clients. Practitioners who are coping with harassment experience increased stress, reduced job satisfaction, diminished clinical focus, and heightened risk of burnout and attrition. In a field that already struggles with workforce retention, allowing harassment to persist unchecked exacerbates staffing challenges that ultimately affect client care.

The culture of a clinical setting directly influences the quality of behavioral services provided there. Organizations where harassment is tolerated or minimized tend to have broader cultures of ethical compromise, where corners are cut, concerns go unraised, and professional standards erode. Conversely, organizations that respond swiftly and decisively to harassment demonstrate a commitment to ethical practice that extends to all aspects of service delivery.

Hana Jurgens' presentation addresses the practical realities of reporting sexual harassment, acknowledging that identification is complicated by the stealth with which perpetrators often operate and by organizational cultures that may normalize or minimize inappropriate behavior. The presentation also addresses the significant personal and professional fallout that reporters often experience, including retaliation, social ostracism, and emotional distress. Understanding these realities is essential for practitioners who want to act ethically but are daunted by the personal costs of doing so.

For behavior analysts, the ethical obligation to report harassment is not optional. The BACB Ethics Code establishes clear expectations regarding professional conduct, reporting violations, and protecting the welfare of clients and colleagues. Understanding these obligations, and the specific processes through which the BACB addresses harassment complaints, empowers practitioners to act on their ethical commitments rather than remaining silent out of uncertainty or fear.

Background & Context

Sexual harassment in professional settings is not unique to behavior analysis, but certain characteristics of the field create conditions in which harassment may be particularly prevalent or difficult to address. The hierarchical nature of supervisory relationships, the power dynamics between supervisors and supervisees, the often isolated nature of clinical work in home and community settings, and the demographic composition of the workforce all contribute to a professional landscape where harassment can thrive.

The supervisory relationship in behavior analysis involves a significant power differential. Supervisees depend on their supervisors for professional development, certification completion, job references, and career advancement. This power differential creates conditions where a supervisor can leverage their authority to engage in harassing behavior with reduced risk of reporting. A supervisee who is harassed by their supervisor faces the prospect of jeopardizing their career, losing their supervision hours, and damaging their professional reputation if they report.

Home-based and community-based service delivery settings present unique vulnerability factors. Practitioners frequently work alone in private homes, vehicles, and community locations where institutional oversight is limited. The informal nature of these settings can blur professional boundaries and create opportunities for harassment that would be less likely in a traditional office or clinic environment.

The demographic reality of behavior analysis is relevant to understanding harassment in the field. Women constitute the substantial majority of BCBAs and RBTs. While harassment can affect any individual regardless of gender, the prevalence of gender-based harassment in a female-dominated field presents particular challenges. Perpetrators may occupy positions of power as clinic directors, agency owners, or senior supervisors, and the small size of many professional communities can make reporting feel particularly risky.

Sexual harassment takes multiple forms, and not all of them are immediately recognizable. Quid pro quo harassment involves explicit or implied conditions where professional benefits are contingent on sexual compliance. Hostile work environment harassment involves conduct that is sufficiently severe or pervasive to create an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment. This can include sexual comments, inappropriate touching, suggestive communications, display of sexual material, and persistent unwanted social or romantic attention. Subtler forms include boundary violations that escalate gradually, making it difficult for the target to identify a clear point at which the behavior crossed a line.

The BACB has established procedures for receiving and investigating complaints of ethical violations, including sexual harassment. However, the reporting process itself can be intimidating for individuals who are unfamiliar with it. Hana Jurgens' presentation demystifies this process by describing how the BACB handles complaints, what evidence is helpful, and what reporters can expect during the investigation. This procedural knowledge reduces the uncertainty that prevents many individuals from reporting.

Clinical Implications

The clinical implications of sexual harassment in behavior analysis settings are both direct and indirect, affecting individual practitioners, organizational culture, and ultimately the clients who depend on quality behavioral services.

For the individual who experiences harassment, the clinical implications are immediate and profound. Exposure to ongoing harassment creates a state of chronic stress that impairs cognitive functioning, emotional regulation, and professional performance. A behavior analyst who is managing the psychological impact of harassment may struggle to maintain the clinical focus, data-driven decision-making, and compassionate engagement that quality service delivery requires. Treatment planning, session delivery, and data analysis all suffer when the practitioner's psychological resources are depleted by an unsafe work environment.

The impact on supervisory relationships is particularly consequential. When harassment occurs within the supervisory context, the supervisory relationship, which should be a source of professional growth and support, becomes a source of harm. Supervisees who are harassed by their supervisors may avoid seeking feedback, minimize contact during supervision sessions, withhold clinical questions or concerns, and develop a defensive rather than growth-oriented approach to professional development. The ripple effects extend to the clients served by those supervisees, who receive supervision that is compromised by the dynamics of harassment rather than focused on clinical excellence.

Organizational implications are significant. When harassment occurs and is not addressed, other staff members are affected even if they are not direct targets. Colleagues who witness or learn about harassment may experience their own psychological distress, develop mistrust of organizational leadership, and become less likely to report other ethical concerns. A culture of silence around harassment often generalizes to silence around other problems, creating organizations where quality concerns, safety issues, and ethical violations go unreported.

Client welfare is the ultimate clinical concern. Behavior analytic services depend on a stable, competent, and ethically committed workforce. When harassment drives talented practitioners out of organizations or out of the field entirely, clients lose access to experienced providers. When harassment compromises the clinical performance of practitioners who remain, service quality declines. When organizational cultures tolerate harassment, the ethical infrastructure that protects client welfare is weakened across the board.

The identification of different forms of harassment has direct clinical implications for how practitioners recognize and respond to problematic behavior. Understanding the distinction between quid pro quo harassment and hostile work environment harassment, recognizing the escalation patterns that characterize gradual boundary violations, and identifying the power dynamics that enable harassment all contribute to the practitioner's ability to recognize when they or their colleagues are in a harmful situation.

Practitioners also need to understand the impact of harassment on the behavior of the person being harassed. Behavioral responses to harassment may include avoidance, withdrawal, increased sick leave, decreased participation in team activities, emotional reactivity, and decreased clinical initiative. Recognizing these patterns in colleagues may be an early indicator that harassment is occurring, even before the individual feels able to disclose it.

Ethical Considerations

The BACB Ethics Code contains multiple provisions that are directly relevant to the identification, prevention, and reporting of sexual harassment. Understanding these provisions is essential for behavior analysts who want to fulfill their professional obligations in this domain.

Code 1.08 (Nondiscrimination) prohibits behavior analysts from engaging in discrimination based on various protected characteristics, including sex and gender. Sexual harassment is a form of sex-based discrimination, and engaging in it is a clear violation of this code provision. This code applies to all professional interactions, including supervisory relationships, collegial relationships, and interactions with clients and their families.

Code 1.09 (Nonharassment) specifically prohibits behavior analysts from engaging in behavior that is harassing or hostile toward others based on protected characteristics. This provision establishes that harassment is not merely an organizational policy violation but a professional ethical violation that can result in BACB sanctions. The code applies regardless of whether the harassment occurs in a traditional workplace, a home-based service setting, a professional conference, or any other context where the behavior analyst is functioning in a professional capacity.

Code 1.15 (Reporting Violations by Others) requires behavior analysts to take appropriate action when they become aware of ethical violations by other behavior analysts. This provision creates an affirmative obligation to report known or suspected harassment, not merely to refrain from engaging in it. The reporting obligation is not contingent on the reporter being the target of the harassment; behavior analysts who witness harassment or learn about it from colleagues are equally obligated to take action.

The specifics of how to report to the BACB are important for practitioners who want to fulfill this obligation. Complaints can be filed through the BACB's formal complaint process, which requires documentation of the alleged violation. The BACB reviews complaints, conducts investigations, and can impose sanctions ranging from reprimand to decertification. Understanding this process reduces the perceived barrier to reporting and helps practitioners prepare effective complaints.

Code 1.04 (Integrity) requires behavior analysts to be honest and to create conditions that promote ethical behavior in others. This provision supports both the reporting of harassment and the creation of organizational cultures where harassment is not tolerated. Practitioners in leadership positions have a particular obligation to establish and enforce policies that prevent harassment and protect individuals who report it.

Code 4.01 (Supervisory Competence) requires that supervision be conducted competently. A supervisory relationship in which harassment occurs is not competent supervision by definition. Supervisors who harass their supervisees are violating their fundamental supervisory obligations, and organizations that fail to prevent supervisory harassment are failing to ensure supervisory quality.

The ethical challenge of managing the fallout from reporting is addressed directly in Hana Jurgens' presentation. Reporters of harassment frequently experience retaliation, social consequences, and professional repercussions. While the Ethics Code prohibits retaliation, the reality is that reporting can be professionally costly. Ethical behavior analysis requires courage, and the field must develop better systems for supporting individuals who report harassment rather than placing the entire burden on reporters.

Assessment & Decision-Making

Making the decision to report sexual harassment requires a systematic assessment process that considers the nature of the behavior, the available evidence, the potential consequences, and the applicable ethical and legal obligations. Hana Jurgens' presentation provides a framework for this assessment.

The first step is identifying whether the behavior constitutes sexual harassment. This requires distinguishing between behavior that is merely socially awkward or inappropriate and behavior that meets the threshold of harassment. Key factors include whether the behavior is unwelcome, whether it is based on sex or gender, whether it is severe or pervasive enough to create a hostile environment or involves a quid pro quo dynamic, and whether a reasonable person in the target's position would find the behavior offensive or intimidating. When the behavior is ambiguous, consulting with a trusted colleague or professional advisor can help clarify the assessment.

Documentation is critical for effective reporting. Practitioners who experience or witness harassment should begin documenting incidents as soon as possible, recording the date, time, location, specific behavior, any witnesses present, and their own response. Documentation should be factual and specific rather than interpretive. Contemporaneous notes, meaning notes written at or near the time of the incident, carry more weight than recollections documented after significant time has passed. Preserving text messages, emails, or other electronic communications that demonstrate harassing behavior is also important.

The decision-making process should consider both internal and external reporting pathways. Internal reporting through organizational channels such as human resources or leadership may resolve the situation more quickly but depends on the organization's willingness and capacity to respond appropriately. External reporting to the BACB addresses the professional ethical dimension and can result in sanctions against the individual's certification. In many cases, both internal and external reporting are appropriate. Legal reporting through law enforcement or civil action may also be warranted depending on the nature and severity of the harassment.

Assessing the organizational context is important for understanding the likely response to a report. Organizations with clear anti-harassment policies, designated reporting channels, and a history of taking complaints seriously are more likely to respond effectively. Organizations without these structures, or with a history of minimizing complaints, may require the reporter to rely more heavily on external channels. The organizational context also influences the risk of retaliation and the availability of support for the reporter.

Seeking support before and during the reporting process is important. This may include consulting with a therapist or counselor about the emotional impact of the harassment and the reporting process, seeking legal advice about rights and protections, connecting with colleagues who can provide emotional support and professional solidarity, and reaching out to professional organizations that support individuals experiencing harassment.

The decision to report is ultimately a personal one that each individual must make based on their own assessment of the situation, their ethical obligations, and their personal circumstances. However, the field benefits when harassment is reported, investigated, and addressed. Each report contributes to a professional culture where harassment is taken seriously and perpetrators are held accountable.

What This Means for Your Practice

Hana Jurgens' presentation is a call to action for the behavior analysis profession. Here is what it means for your individual practice and professional conduct.

Educate yourself about what constitutes sexual harassment. Many practitioners have a narrow understanding that includes only the most overt forms. Expand your awareness to include subtle boundary violations, hostile environment behaviors, and the power dynamics that enable harassment in professional settings. This knowledge protects both you and your colleagues.

Develop the courage to report. Reporting harassment is one of the most ethically significant actions a behavior analyst can take, and it is also one of the most personally challenging. Understanding the reporting process, building a support network, and connecting with colleagues who share your commitment to ethical practice all contribute to readiness to report when the situation demands it.

If you are in a leadership or supervisory position, create and enforce clear anti-harassment policies. Establish reporting channels that are accessible and trustworthy. Respond to complaints swiftly and seriously. Protect reporters from retaliation. The culture of your organization is shaped by your actions, and your response to harassment communicates your values more clearly than any policy document.

Support colleagues who report harassment. The social and professional consequences of reporting can be devastating. Being a visible ally to reporters, maintaining professional relationships with individuals who have reported, and refusing to participate in retaliation or social ostracism are all concrete actions that support a culture of accountability.

Finally, recognize that addressing sexual harassment is not a distraction from your clinical work but an essential component of it. The quality of behavioral services depends on the quality of the professional environment in which those services are delivered. When you act to prevent and address harassment, you are protecting not only your colleagues but also the clients who depend on a healthy, ethical, and competent workforce.