Study: Sexual harassment is a real problem in science

Updated by Susannah Locke on July 16, 2014, 2:40 p.m. ET

Sexual harassment and assault are problems that no one should have to deal with in the workplace. And according to one new study, even science isn’t immune to such problems.

“The study is the most in-depth look yet at sexual harassment in science”

The paper, published in PLOS ONE, surveyed more than 600 anthropologists, archaeologists, biologists, zoologists, and other scientists about their experiences while doing fieldwork away from the university.

And the picture was disturbing — there were many experiences of sexual harassment and assault, as well as little awareness of how to report abuses.

Now, the survey was not a random sampling of researchers — so this can’t be used to extrapolate the frequency of sexual harassment. But it’s the best existing data set yet on harassment and assault within science. And the data suggests that this indeed an issue in need of closer attention.

Study: Sexual harassment is a real problem in science