Survey: A third of men admit to behavior in the past year that could qualify as sexual harassment

One in 12 men identifies as a harasser.
(Image credit: iStock)

Approximately a third of men who work full time admitted to behavior in the past year that could be considered objectionable or sexual harassment, a survey by Morning Consult and The New York Times has found. The men admitted to behavior ranging from telling inappropriate jokes to treating a woman "badly" if she didn't respond in a desired way to sexual advances. Strikingly, while many men didn't view their behavior as harassment, a whole one in 25 men in the workforce acknowledged themselves as harassers.

"Most harassment is not by high-profile celebrities," explained a lead researcher on the subject, Louise Fitzgerald. "This is so common in places that are very far from the spotlight. This is endemic." And while much of the behavior confessed to by men in the survey doesn't legally qualify as sexual harassment, "in general, frequency is the most important component," Fitzgerald said.

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.