Two-thirds of scientists across 32 disciplines say they've been sexually harassed


A new study published today in the journal PLOS ONE found that nearly two-thirds of field scientists surveyed across 32 disciplines had been sexually harassed in one form or another.
The study, initiated by Dr. Kate Clancy, a science writer and professor of anthropology at the University of Illinois, surveyed 666 field scientists from 32 different disciplines. Most of the scientists surveyed worked in either anthropology or archaeology.
Clancy was moved to conduct this research after inviting guests to tell their harassment stories in her online column at Scientific American back in January 2012. When Clancy realized just how many scientists — including herself — had been subject to some form of harassment, she reached out to colleagues from Harvard University, Skidmore College, and the University of Illinois at Chicago, to investigate.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
While the study found that two-thirds of the 666 total scientists had been subject to sexual harassment, many more women than men reported being subject to such treatment. 71 percent of women reported experiencing harassment compared to just 41 percent of men, with harassment constituting inappropriate sexual remarks, sexist jokes, and more.
Additionally, one in five of the total pool reported being the victim of sexual assault. Again, more women reported being affected than men — 26 percent compared to just 6 percent.
Read the full study here.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Kimberly Alters is the news editor at TheWeek.com. She is a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.
-
New York plans first nuclear plant in 36 years
Speed Read The plant, to be constructed somewhere in upstate New York, will produce enough energy to power a million homes
-
Dehorning rhinos sharply cuts poaching, study finds
Speed Read The painless procedure may be an effective way to reduce the widespread poaching of rhinoceroses
-
Breakthrough gene-editing treatment saves baby
speed read KJ Muldoon was healed from a rare genetic condition
-
Sea lion proves animals can keep a beat
speed read A sea lion named Ronan beat a group of college students in a rhythmic dance-off, says new study
-
Humans heal much slower than other mammals
Speed Read Slower healing may have been an evolutionary trade-off when we shed fur for sweat glands
-
Novel 'bone collector' caterpillar wears its prey
Speed Read Hawaiian scientists discover a carnivorous caterpillar that decorates its shell with the body parts of dead insects
-
Scientists find hint of alien life on distant world
Speed Read NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has detected a possible signature of life on planet K2-18b
-
Katy Perry, Gayle King visit space on Bezos rocket
Speed Read Six well-known women went into lower orbit for 11 minutes