Half of British women, 20% of men sexually harassed at work – survey
More than half of British women and one out of five men have suffered sexual harassment in the workplace or place of study, according to a survey. The vast majority of them did not report the incident.
Some 53 percent of women and 20 percent of men said they suffered some form of sexual harassment, up to and including sexual assault. Of those harassed some 63 percent of women and 79 percent of men did not report the incident.
Commissioned following the explosion of allegations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, the ComRes poll for BBC Radio 5 Live talked to over 2,000 people. It found one in ten women surveyed had suffered a sexual assault in the workplace or place of study.
Some 27 percent of all those surveyed said their abuse came in the form of inappropriate comments, 13 percent verbal harassment, and 15 percent inappropriate touching. Women were more likely to be harassed by their senior managers or bosses; 30 percent compared to men’s 12 percent. Following such incidents, one in ten women reported that they left their job or place of study.
More than 50 women, including actors Angelina Jolie and Gwyneth Paltrow, have leveled allegations against Weinstein. The abundance of accusations has prompted many others to recount instances of sexual harassment, sexual assault, and rape. The twitter hashtag #MeToo has been trending, with victims of harassment sharing their experiences.
