Harassment and bullying: officer duties and what is changing
1The lesson in plain words
STCW basic training now covers violence and harassment. As an officer, prevent abuse, receive reports and protect fair reporting.
The rules now
The 2022 MLC amendments improved welfare, including social connectivity and properly fitting protective equipment. From 1 January 2026, STCW table A-VI/1-4, amended by MSC.560(108), adds a competence: contributing to preventing and responding to violence and harassment, including sexual harassment, bullying and sexual assault. If you already hold a certificate, check your flag state's training requirements. The basics, definitions and bystander actions, are in Law: personal safety.
What changes next
The 2025 MLC amendments, adopted on 6 June 2025, are expected to enter into force on 23 December 2027. They address violence and harassment, make shore leave easier, strengthen fair repatriation, and call on states to treat seafarers as key workers. Check your flag's national rules as they are updated. The comprehensive STCW review is ongoing. Its timetable is separate from the harassment competence already in force; follow IMO updates for confirmed milestones.
Your role as officer
Officers hold power over ratings and cadets, which makes abuse easier and reporting harder. Set the tone: no humiliating jokes, no initiation rituals, no favours for silence. Watch for signs: a crew member who becomes withdrawn, avoids someone or asks to change watch. Cadets are especially exposed. Follow the company's policy, often based on the ICS–ITF Guidance on Eliminating Shipboard Harassment and Bullying.
Receiving a report
Listen privately and take the report seriously, without judging guilt. Check immediate safety and agree protective steps. Record facts, dates and witnesses. Use the company reporting procedure and tell the master. If the master is involved, report ashore. Explain who must be told; share details only with those handling the report. Watch for retaliation. For sexual assault, preserve evidence and contact the authorities.
2Step by step
When a crew member reports harassment to you
- 1
Listen privately and calmly; do not judge or blame.
A poor first response stops people from reporting again.
- 2
Make the person safe, for example by changing watch or cabin.
Safety comes before investigation.
- 3
Write down facts, dates, places and witnesses.
Accurate records support a fair investigation.
- 4
Report through the company procedure and to the master, or ashore if the master is involved.
The company must investigate; the right channel avoids conflicts of interest.
- 5
Explain confidentiality limits, share only as needed, and watch for retaliation.
Limited disclosure supports safety and a fair investigation.
3Key points
- 1
STCW A-VI/1-4 harassment competence in force since 1 January 2026 (MSC.560(108)).
- 2
2025 MLC amendments expected in force 23 December 2027.
- 3
Officers hold power: set the tone and protect cadets and juniors.
- 4
Receive reports privately, make the person safe, record, report, share only as needed.
- 5
If the master is involved, report ashore to the company.
4Frequent mistakes
Wrong: Initiation pranks on cadets are a harmless tradition.
Right: Humiliating rituals are harassment or bullying. Officers must stop them, not tolerate them.
Wrong: A report against a senior officer must go through that officer's line manager on board.
Right: Use the channel that avoids a conflict: the master, or the company ashore if the master is involved.
5Practice case & exam keys
A deck cadet tells you, the third officer, that the bosun keeps sending her sexual messages and has threatened her training record if she reports him. She begs you not to tell anyone. What do you do?
Show the answer
Thank her and listen without blame. Explain who must receive the report and why; do not promise secrecy. Agree immediate protection with her and arrange it through the master. Record her account and preserve the messages. Report through the company procedure. Ask for an impartial training assessor. Watch for retaliation affecting her work or training record, report it promptly and explain how to raise further concerns.
Exam keys
- MSC.560(108): STCW A-VI/1-4 competence on violence and harassment, in force 1 January 2026.
- 2022 MLC amendments in force 23 Dec 2024; 2025 amendments expected in force 23 Dec 2027.
- Officer duties: prevent, recognise signs, receive reports, protect, report, prevent retaliation.
- ICS–ITF Guidance on Eliminating Shipboard Harassment and Bullying.
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