Psychological harassment at sea is no longer an open secret in the maritime industry. It has emerged from behind closed doors to become a known and measurable threat to crew well-being, ship safety and industry sustainability—and it demands urgent action.

A 2024 study cited by Splash247 found that one in four seafarers reported experiencing harassment or bullying. For female seafarers, this number climbed to more than 50 percent. These are not outliers. This is a systemic problem, and yet underreporting remains rampant.

Fear of retaliation, lack of follow-through, and the unique structure of maritime work—hierarchical, isolated and often unmonitored—make it hard for seafarers to speak up, let alone seek justice. In this article, we will go deeper into the problem of psychological harassment at sea and identify ways to bring it to an end.

Defining Psychological Harassment at Sea

Psychological harassment in maritime work includes verbal abuse, bullying, exclusion, discrimination, humiliation and threats. It can be overt, like public shaming, or subtle, like persistent belittling or exclusion from decision-making, but the effects are the same - erosion of morale, degradation of mental health and, in some cases, a compromised sense of safety.

Onboard, where crews live and work in confined quarters for extended periods, power dynamics are magnified. Command hierarchies, flag-state inconsistencies and the lack of firm oversight create fertile ground for problematic behavior. And often the very people expected to detect and prevent abuse—officers or supervisors—are the ones perpetuating it.

A Growing Body of Evidence

The International Seafarers’ Welfare and Assistance Network (ISWAN), along with organizations like the All Aboard Alliance, are bringing to light the scale of this issue. ISWAN’s findings have repeatedly confirmed the prevalence of bullying, harassment and abuse at sea, while the All Aboard’s Diversity@Sea project offered practical insights from over 100 interviews with female seafarers.

Among the key takeaways: psychological safety must be enforced, not assumed. This means establishing clear expectations for behavior, enforcing zero-tolerance policies and creating independent reporting pathways that crew members can use—and trust.

Yet even the most well-intentioned efforts—like whistleblower programs—can fall short. Why? Because they often activate after damage is done. The burden of proof is on the victim. Investigations drag. Reputational concerns override transparency. In short, these are reactive tools in a context that requires proactive solutions.

Just as a crew’s mental and physical health benefit more from preventive care than reactive, psychological harassment is best fought through preventive measures.

The Human and Operational Cost

Harassment at sea doesn’t just harm individuals. It erodes safety and performance at every level, threatening the sustainability of individual companies and the industry itself.

Mentally, affected seafarers report anxiety, depression, sleep disruption and, in severe cases, PTSD. Operationally, psychological distress leads to distraction, increased error rates, interpersonal tension and higher turnover—especially among female crew members, whose departure only compounds the industry’s existing labor shortages.

The legal and reputational risks are also serious. Maritime operators that fail to address harassment may face lawsuits, public backlash and exclusion from the insurance market, where many underwriters now demand proof of crew welfare initiatives.

Culture Change Starts at the Top

Zero-tolerance policies are a necessary first step, but they can’t just live in handbooks or on posters. Crew members must see that harassment won’t be tolerated and will instead be met with clear, specific and visible consequences.

But what about training? Its impact comes down to its implementation. As one maritime psychologist said in a private forum, “Training rarely changes behavior. Awareness may rise, but unless behaviors are legally and practically defined - and consequences are enforced - harassment remains a subjective and polarizing issue.”

‘Tick the box' training sessions have no impact. A company’s code of conduct must step out of the employee handbook and into the real world, where it’s lived daily, at every level. And this requires specificity. Not vague policies like “no bullying” or “respect colleagues,” but explicit rules about what can and can’t be said, done or tolerated. For example: “Do not make comments on appearance,” “Do not isolate crew based on nationality,” “Jokes about gender or religion are prohibited.” Clear rules, clearly communicated, shift the discussion from perception to protocol.

Equally important: independent and confidential reporting channels. These need to bypass shipboard command structures and company gatekeepers. When crew believe their complaints will be taken seriously, without retaliation or reputational risk, they are more likely to speak up - and bad actors are more likely to be held accountable.

Practical Solutions for Progress

One path forward is to leverage technology. Anonymous reporting apps allow crew to speak up before a situation escalates. These tools can be monitored by third parties or unions, offering neutrality and credibility that company-led processes often lack.

For example, VIKAND's Crew Wellness Pulse Check is a confidential digital platform that lets crew members report their wellness concerns. It then analyses their feedback to create actionable management reports, so operators can quickly address harassment and other onboard issues.

Mental health initiatives must also evolve. Counseling and post-voyage debriefs are helpful, but prevention is better than repair. Integrating mental health support directly into onboard life, such as peer-led support groups or rotating wellness check-ins, can shift the tone from reactive to restorative.

There are also lessons to be drawn from industries like aviation and healthcare, where harassment reporting is integrated into broader safety systems. Rather than treating it like an isolated personnel issue, it's treated as a core dimension of operational integrity.

And for companies worried about optics or liability, they should know that taking steps to address psychological harassment is not a liability, it’s a competitive advantage. Charterers and regulators are watching, and crews are choosing employers based on their culture and reputation. Companies that sit silent may see that silence spread to the decks of their ships if they can’t attract and retain talent.

3 Steps Forward: Define, Enforce, Change

Psychological harassment at sea is not just a moral failing, it’s a business risk and a safety hazard. If maritime leaders want to retain skilled workers, meet ESG goals and maintain safe, efficient operations, they cannot treat harassment as a side issue.

Define the behaviors that won’t be tolerated, create confidential channels for crew to report them, enforce consequences with consistency, and stop relying on awareness campaigns to do what only rules and accountability can achieve. Companies that wish to thrive in the decades to come can start evolving their onboard culture today.