Four in 10 N.L. women have experienced sexual harassment: report

One-quarter of the adult Newfoundland and Labrador population reports having experienced sexual harassment, with nearly four in 10 women in the province experiencing such an incident in their lifetime.

That is according to a recent survey conducted by Corporate Research Associates Inc. (CRA).

There has been considerable public discussion on the topic of harassment throughout North America, from the smallest of workplaces right up to the office of U.S. President Donald Trump.

CRA says that to better understand the prevalence in Newfoundland and Labrador, residents were asked when, if at all, they last experienced sexual harassment.

Overall, one-quarter (23 per cent) of the adult Newfoundland and Labrador population reports having been sexually harassed, with one in 10 (nine per cent) having most recently experienced sexual harassment within the last five years, and one in seven (14 per cent) having most recently experienced such an incident five years ago or more. Meanwhile, three-quarters (77 per cent) of residents have never been sexually harassed.

At the same time, nearly four in 10 (37 per cent) women in Newfoundland and Labrador indicate they have been sexually harassed, with one in seven (14 per cent) women having most recently experienced sexual harassment within the last five years, and one-quarter (23 per cent) having most recently experienced such an incident five years ago or more. Meanwhile, six in 10 (62 per cent) women report never having been sexually harassed.

The likelihood of experiencing sexual harassment in Newfoundland and Labrador is similar to that of Atlantic Canada overall (26 per cent of residents overall, and 41 per cent of women).

“Although the incidence of sexual harassment reported, particularly among women, is significant, it may not be as high as some might have expected,” said Don Mills, chairman and CEO of Corporate Research Associates. “The results nonetheless serve to underscore the ongoing need to address the long-standing societal problem.”

The results are part of the CRA Atlantic Quarterly, an independent, quarterly telephone survey of Atlantic Canadians, and are based on a telephone sample of 401 adult Newfoundland and Labrador residents, conducted from Feb 5 to 28, 2018, with overall results accurate to within ± 5.0 percentage points, 95 out of 100 times.