Population interest, through search trends related to workplace and sexual harassment in Spain and its relationship with global search data

Abstract

Introduction: To analyze and correlate the populations interest, through search trends related to workplace harassment (AL) and sexual harassment (AS) in Spain and its relationship with global search data.

Method: Ecological study, data was obtained through online access to Google Trends, using the terms “workplace harassment” and “sexual harassment” as the topic. Studied variables: Relative search volume (VBR), milestones, trend, and seasonality. Date of consult 01/14/2022.

Results: At a global level, the median VBR for AL = 25 and for AS = 37 with a trend for AL of R2=0.04 and for AS of R2=0.43. A milestone VBR=100 for AS was observed on november 2017. Spain had a median VBR for AL=21 and for AS=8 with a trend for AL of R2=0.38 and for AS of R2=0.06. A milestone VBR=100 for AL was observed on February 2005.

Conclusions: Even though the search trends for AS and AL showed an overall decline, it was on November 2017 that a shift in search models related to AS was detected. The MeToo movement was the main reason for this change, even becoming the main milestone observed when analyzing trends for AS in Spain and, on an even larger scale, at a global level.