An astonishing 60 percent of women in the United States say that they have faced instances of sexual harassment, according to a poll conducted by Quinnipiac University published late last year. Among the women who said that they had experienced sexual harassment, here is where they said they experienced such harassment:
- Sixty-nine percent experienced sexual harassment at work
- Forty-three percent experienced sexual harassment in social situations
- Forty-five percent experienced sexual harassment on the street
- Fifteen percent experienced sexual harassment at home
However, sexual harassment doesn’t only happen to women. Twenty percent of male survey participants said that they had experienced sexual harassment too. Furthermore, both genders agree that we need to address the issue of sexual harassment, as 89 percent of women and 88 percent of men responded that sexual harassment was a serious problem.
According to the assistant director of the survey, “a vast majority of American men and women are deeply troubled by sexual harassment and the numbers underscore why. A stunning six in 10 women say they have been victimized.” The poll surveyed 1,415 United States voters randomly selected across the nation. According to those who managed the survey, its margin of error fell within plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.
There’s no way to know if you’re going to be the victim of sexual harassment when you go to a new job. Whether you’re a man or a woman, all you can do is hope for the best and — if you do become a victim of this unconscionable behavior — stand up for your rights. Powerful Pennsylvania and federal laws offer protection and a means for seeking justice for anyone who is being sexually harassed at work.
