How Prevalent is the Issue?

Recent studies have indicated that approximately 40-70% of women and 10-20% of men in the workplace have experienced some form of sexual harassment. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission reviewed approximately 12,000 cases involving allegations of sexual harassment in 2006.  The number of cases continues to increase annually. A growing trend is the filing of complaints by men.  The current percentage of claims brought by men against female supervisors is 15.4%. 

A telephone poll conducted on 782 employees revealed:

• 31% of the female employees claimed to have been harassed at work.

• 7% of the male employees claimed to have been harassed at work.

• 62% of employers took no action.

• 100% of women claimed the harasser was a man

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• 59% of men claimed the harasser was a woman.

• 41% of men claimed the harasser was another man.

Of the women who had been harassed:

• 43% were harassed by a supervisor.

• 27% were harassed by a senior employee.

• 19% were harassed by a co-worker at their level.

• 8% were harassed by a junior employee.

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