New Study Reveals Sexual Harassment Rates Remain High

Results from the Newcomb Institute indicate the need for increased education and compliance training to combat rising sexual harassment rates.

A September 2024 study conducted by the Newcomb Institute, an academic research center at Tulane University focused on gender equality, reveals rates of sexual harassment and sexual assault across the United States are still alarmingly high. The 2024 study compares findings with a similar study conducted in 2018, at the height of the #MeToo movement. The Newcomb Institute study surveyed over 3,300 adults in the United States and found that nearly 82% of women and 42% of men have experienced sexual harassment in their lifetime. Important to note, the study focused on sexual harassment of all kinds, and in all spaces (not just workplace harassment). Given most surveys related to sexual harassment prevention training focus solely on incidents of harassment at work, the data is revealing and shows the need for increased training and focus on behavior, including civility and respect, so that learners can gain skills from work and take them into their daily lives.

Rising Media Attention Doesn’t Halt Rising Sexual Harassment Rates

The percentage of women and men who report having experienced sexual harassment in their lifetime (82% and 42%, respectively) is nearly identical to the 2018 survey, highlighting the pervasiveness of the issue. This is particularly concerning given the amount of attention that has been placed on this issue since 2017, both in the media and among state and local legislatures attempting to curb the problem.

More than 25% of respondents reported experiencing harassment in the past year alone, with non/binary and transgender individuals reporting the highest rates of harassment. Among LGBTQ+ individuals who identify as male, this was the only category where males reported experiencing more incidents of harassment than females. Alarmingly, 87% of respondents who claimed to have experienced sexual harassment did not disclose the misconduct to anyone, indicating a need for better education on who and where to report incidents of misconduct.

It is clear from the study that sexual harassment is a problem that is not going away, and the findings further highlight the need for robust harassment prevention programs that go beyond basic compliance and alleviate problems that were shown by the study to have a high correlation to depression, anxiety, binge use of drugs, and suicidal thoughts.

Sexual Harassment spans several different behaviors

The Newcomb Institute asked respondents several questions regarding how to define sexual harassment based on a wide range of behaviors, from verbal, to physical, to online contact. The study found that nearly all forms of harassment were more commonly experienced by women than men. Among the key findings:

• 78% of women and 29% of men experienced verbal sexual harassment, making it the most common form.
• 50% of women and 24% of men experienced sexual coercion or threats, including repeated date requests or being forced into a date.
• 31% of women and 15% of men reported being victims of cyber or online harassment.
• 59% of women and 21% of men claimed to have been victims of physically aggressive sexual harassment.
• 27% of women and 8% of men reported being victims of sexual assault.

While verbal misconduct is the most common form of sexual harassment, we see that many of the 3300 respondents reported being subjected to physical harassment, dangerous threats, and even sexual assault. These numbers are simply too high. Also, alarming is the finding that over half of women (and 18% of men) experienced harassment or assault prior to the age of 18, showing younger people are at a great risk of experiencing traumatic experiences with harassment before they become adults.

Perpetrators of Harassment Are Most Commonly Strangers

We often think of harassment in the workplace context, where toxic behavior can be difficult to get away from. But 65% of women and 17% of men report having been verbally harassed by a stranger. Similarly, 42% of women and 11% of men reported experiencing physically aggressive behavior by a stranger. This highlights the need for employers to educate their employees on the dangers presented by interacting with third parties, not just at work, but also outside. The same strategies and techniques for responding to inappropriate behavior are useful outside the workplace, and the prevalence of stranger harassment highlights the need for employers to keep their employees safe away from work, as well as at the workplace.

Workplace Harassment Numbers high, but lower than in the public

When the study asked respondents about the prevalence of harassment at work, 33% of women responded they had been subjected to workplace harassment. This shows that efforts to reduce incidents of sexual harassment at work are having a positive impact on the overall number of incidents within that segment of life. However, if one in three women are still experiencing harassment at work, there is much to be done.

Seven states and the District of Columbia require sexual harassment training at work. Additionally, New York City and the City of Chicago have their own laws requiring sexual harassment (and bystander intervention in Chicago) training on a periodic basis. A host of other states have written recommendations for employers to conduct this type of training, and still several other states require public employees to receive sexual harassment training. Given the prevalence of sexual harassment in the public, and its continued existence following the #MeToo movement, compared with the lower rate of harassment at work, it is more important than ever for employers to select and conduct quality sexual harassment training to protect their employees.

Education Cannot Stop with Sexual Harassment Training

As demonstrated by the Newcomb Institute findings, sexual harassment is a behavioral problem. While many state and municipal laws require mandatory education on the legal aspects of sexual harassment, such education teaches learners what forms of behavior are illegal. While this may have a net positive impact on employer liability in sexual harassment lawsuits, it does little to stop the offensive and disrespectful behaviors that cause toxic cultures to persist. For this reason, we recommend a comprehensive program of education on the following topics:

• Prevention of sexual harassment
• Workplace civility and respect
• Bystander intervention
• Anti-discrimination training
• Bias (including unconscious bias)
• Reporting and conflict avoidance training (Speak Up!)
• Workplace violence education

Each of the foregoing categories make up a comprehensive package of education aimed at improving workplace culture. A byproduct of providing this education will be increased evidence of an attempt at preventing illegal harassment and discrimination, but the main goal is to improve workplace culture and provide employees with skills they can take away from work and into their public lives (where misconduct is occurring at a higher rate than at work). Where many employers express concern about the amount of time needed to provide a comprehensive education package, doing so represents less than one half of 1% of annual employee work time.

If one employee is protected from an incident, the work has paid for itself, in both the employee’s mental and physical health, and the avoidance of investigation, discipline, and potentially litigation.

The Path Forward: Partnering for Better Harassment Training and Compliance

The key is meeting your employees where they are. Online, remote learning programs with essential course libraries can help ensure a seamless, interactive experience that drives participation and knowledge retainment.

Ready to empower your employees with convenient, remote training solutions? Let’s connect, or learn more about our offerings. We look forward to partnering with you in your efforts to eradicate harassment, both from the workplace and from the public at large.