Based on data from the 2024 Looking Glass survey – which gathered 4,376 responses from individuals working behind the scenes in UK film, TV, and cinema – this report exposes the systemic nature of bullying, harassment, and discrimination across the UK screen industries, highlighting the urgent need for cultural and structural reform.

Key findings

32% of respondents experienced bullying or harassment in the past year

19% experienced discrimination

41% faced either bullying, harassment, or discrimination - 2.5 to 3 times higher than the UK workforce average

Pressing issues

The report identifies several barriers to meaningful change:

Culture of silence: 53% of those affected did not report their experiences

Leadership accountability: 74% identified their manager as the source of bullying or harassment

Lack of confidence in reporting: 42% believe reports would not be acted upon, regardless of the perpetrator

Training gaps: 27% felt unequipped to respond when a colleague reported such behaviour

Groups at a higher risk

While these behaviours are widespread, they are not experienced equally. The report highlights that experiences of bullying or harassment in the past 12 months were disproportionately reported by certain demographic groups, including:

Disabled individuals
Neurodivergent respondents
Carers of adult dependents
Black and Global Majority respondents
LGBTQ+ respondents
Women
Religious minorities, particularly Hindus, Buddhists, and Muslims.

Intersectional analysis shows even greater vulnerability among those with multiple marginalised identities. For example, 46% of Black and Global Majority respondents from working-class backgrounds experienced bullying or harassment in the past year, a much higher rate compared to their peers from other combinations of ethnicities and socioeconomic backgrounds.

Signs of change

Progress is slow but crucially, is being made, with targeted interventions from across the industry starting to make an impact:

The prevalence of bullying, harassment, and discrimination has declined from 53% in 2021 to 41% in 2024
Our Bullying Advice Service, launched in 2021, continues to offer impartial, one-to-one support for freelancers and permanent staff
The forthcoming full launch of the Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority (CIISA) – a confidential, independent reporting body – is welcomed as a critical step forward

A call to action

We’ve timed the publication of this latest Looking Glass Deep Dive for Bullying Awareness Week so that it can serve as a call to action – not just for policymakers and industry leaders, but for everyone working in film and TV. The culture of silence must end, informal hierarchies must be challenged, and the belief that change is impossible must give way to the conviction that it can – and is – happening.

Marcus Ryder, CEO, Film and TV Charity