Sexual harassment statistics: Do the numbers reveal the true extent of the problem?

A new article addresses the statistics of sexual harassment and questions how prevalent it is. The Statistics Views article notes that surveys indicate that if you're a woman, you have about a 3 in 5 chance of experiencing sexual harassment, while if you're a man, your chances are around or slightly less than 1 in 5. These figures are for reported cases of sexual harassment, however, and studies indicate that the vast majority of cases are never reported.

Because power dynamics will never completely go away, statistics alone will probably never reveal just how much of a problem sexual harassment really is; however, the more aware people become of what sexual harassment is, and the safer people feel about coming forward with their allegations, the more accurate the data will be.

"Statistics can only reveal a small part of the picture, but hopefully we're moving toward a world where women—and men—feel safe about coming forward," said author Allison L. Goldstein. "Because if we don't have official reports, we'll never know if we're moving the needle."