At the heart of our work at Sailors’ Society is a simple yet powerful purpose: seafarers and those supporting them on shore deserve fulfilment and happiness in their chosen maritime career.

We know that life onboard can be challenging. And because when things aren’t working, a timely lifeline makes all the difference, we provide free wellbeing support services 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

But support isn’t just reacting to crises. We also feel a responsibility to the maritime sector as a whole – to share insight, highlight what is (and what isn’t) working, and help guide positive change.

By drawing on unique data collected from seafarers and cadets around the world, we aim to arm the industry with actionable insight so that ships can become safer, more inclusive, and more respectful places to work.

Every seafarer’s experience is unique – shaped by their role, their ship type, their nationality, gender, identity, and many other factors. To support them effectively, we need to understand what they’re actually going through. That’s why, on Day of the Seafarer this year, we published our comprehensive State of the Industry Snapshot.

Available on our website, it provides real insight into the current state of bullying and harassment at sea.

We were honoured that IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez provided the report’s foreword – underlining the urgency of the issue and the need for action across the sector.

Here are some of the key details:

• We surveyed 600 respondents, from 25 countries, with 16% of them female.
• The sample included active seafarers, cadets and ratings, giving a broad and diverse perspective.
• We collaborated with NGOs, industry experts and academic partners – because tackling such issues requires collective effort and deep listening.

What the data reveals – and why we need to pay attention

The findings are sobering. But this is exactly why we must shine a light on them – to help the industry respond and improve the everyday lived experience of seafarers.

Major findings include:

• Active seafarers are up to ten times more likely to experience bullying or harassment compared to those who have never been to sea.
• Yet, paradoxically, those onboard are less likely to report incidents – suggesting that bullying and harassment may have become normalised in some places, and that a culture of silence still prevails.
• Female cadets – particularly those from Africa and South East Asia – were twice as likely to experience bullying compared to their male counterparts. In fact, African women in training reported rates more than double those of male cadets from the same region
• Among LGBTQ+ seafarers, a shocking 67 % said they had experienced bullying or harassment on board, and the majority reported feeling unable to be open about their identity while onboard
• Perhaps most distressing: fewer than half of the victims of rape or sexual assault on board reported the incident to their superiors.

In short, the research tells us this is not an occasional, isolated problem. It’s systemic. The nature of seafaring (long contracts, isolation, cultural/linguistic diversity, hierarchical structures) can make it harder for people to speak up and harder for companies to detect and resolve issues.

What we heard from seafarers themselves

Numbers tell only one part of the story – hearing lived experience gives texture. That’s why we asked members of our Peer-to-Peer Support Groups for their experiences:

• One female cadet said: “I was frequently subjected to inappropriate comments from male colleagues. A senior officer made unwanted advances … When I refused, he spread false rumours that I was incompetent.”
• Some peer-group members described the mindset onboard: “They said it’s normal, this happens on every ship. You’ll learn about it with time. To which I say, someone has to break the chain.”
• Forms of harassment ranged from verbal abuse, to exclusion from team activities, to hierarchical pressure and being denied repatriation or forced to sign contract extensions against their will.

These voices reinforce that the problem is not just “someone being mean” – but patterns of behaviour, power imbalances, fears of retaliation, and systems that prevent safe reporting.

We didn’t stop at the findings. We also asked seafarers themselves: what would help? What works? What needs to change?

They said:

• Stronger enforcement of anti-bullying and harassment policies topped the list. Cadets and ratings in many regions felt this was more urgent than simply more training or awareness.
• Leadership matters. A strong, visible commitment from senior officers and shore-based management helps set the tone for a respectful onboard culture.
• Creating peer support systems, helplines and safe spaces where seafarers can talk openly and confidentially.
• Ensuring that identity-based groups (women, LGBTQ+, national minorities, cadets) have specific support and representation – because experience is not uniform.
• Importantly: shifting the conversation from incidence to prevention. Rather than waiting for a report or crisis, the maritime community must build environments where bullying, harassment or exclusion are never acceptable.
• Finally, they said we need to encourage reporting and ensure that when issues are raised, they are addressed, not swept under the carpet. Under-reporting is a major barrier to progress.

At Sailors’ Society, we believe “support” means both the immediate and the long term. So, here’s what we have in place – and what those of you working in a shore-support, training, crewing or policy role can engage with.

Our support services include:

• A global, 24/7 helpline, available to seafarers and their families. At any hour of the day or night, help is available.
• A dedicated helpline for female seafarers, ensuring they can speak to one of our female counsellors if they prefer
• The new Sea Mate programme that trains crew to become Wellbeing Officers onboard, so every ship has someone locally who seafarers can approach for support before issues escalate.
• Our Circle of Care – a wide range of wellbeing training programmes (Wellness at Sea conferences, e-learning modules, peer networks) to help both new and experienced seafarers thrive, not just survive.
• Our global Peer-to-Peer Support Groups: confidential, moderated spaces where seafarers can connect with others who have had similar experiences (cadets, female seafarers, captains, pilots, LGBTQ+ community). These groups not only support individuals, but they also help generate the insight which feeds into our research.
• For seafarers who have experienced traumatic events (such as assault or harassment) and require longer-term care, we offer trauma grants to help with accessing professional support.

For those supporting seafarers from shore, there are plenty of ways you can get involved and amplify the impact:

• Promote awareness of these services among your networks – cadets, crew, training institutions and crewing agencies. Many may not realise help is available.
• Support the culture of “it’s OK to speak up” – normalise discussions about mental health, harassment and bullying. When a seafarer sees someone else stepping forward, it helps reduce the fear of isolation.
• Help us to onboard the new generation of cadets and trainees through our Sea Ready training and MyWellness e-learning to help them understand their rights, know who to speak with, and be prepared for the realities of maritime life. This is especially important given the demographic differences we found in the research.
• Use our data. Our report is publicly available, and shore-based teams are often in a great position to translate data into policy, training, awareness sessions, or crew briefings.

Why now matters

The maritime industry is evolving. Global mobility, remote operations, longer contracts, mental health awareness, and technology-enabled connectivity – all of these are changing the nature of shipboard life. In this environment, we cannot continue with old assumptions that “this is how it’s always been”.

Our research shows the risks are real. But we’re also encouraged: many companies, training schools, unions, and regulatory bodies are stepping up. The tide is shifting. But changing culture takes time and consistent effort. It requires leadership, enforcement, peer engagement, continuous feedback, and seeing each seafarer as a person, not just a number or an “asset”.

And while the long-term goal is harassment-free ships and full inclusion across the board, we mustn’t lose sight of the here and now. Every time a seafarer feels isolated, unheard or unsafe, they need someone who cares – someone onshore and offshore who listens, acts and supports.

If you are working shore-side in the maritime industry – whether in crewing, training, policy, welfare, consultancy or support services – you play a vital role. You are the bridge between the world on land and the world at sea. What you do can make a real difference.

Please take a moment to familiarise yourself with this year’s research by Sailors’ Society and all our support services. Share this with your teams.

And to any seafarer reading this: if you’ve experienced bullying, harassment, anxiety or distress – you are not alone. There are people ready to listen, support and act. Please reach out.

Together, we can help create a maritime world where every seafarer can feel safe, supported and able to thrive.