Half of British women sexually harassed at work: Survey

A new report suggests that half of British women and a fifth of men have been sexually harassed at work or a place of study. (File Photo)

Over half of women and a fifth of men in Britain have experienced sexual harassment at work or a place of study, according to a new survey.

The ComRes survey conducted for the BBC found that 53 percent of women and 20 percent of men said they were sexually harassed, which ranged from inappropriate comments to actual sexual assaults.

Of the victims who said they had been harassed, 63 percent of the women and 79 percent of the men said they didn't report it to anyone.

The survey spoke to more than 2,000 British adults.

The study was commissioned after sexual assault claims against Harvey Weinstein, the disgraced Hollywood mogul, resulted in the widespread sharing of sexual harassment stories.

Weinstein, who was born in New York City to a Jewish family, has denied the rape allegations, while acknowledging that his behavior “caused a lot of pain.”

An avalanche of claims have surfaced since the publication of an explosive report earlier this month by The New York Times that alleged a history of abusive behavior by Weinstein dating back decades .

The once-powerful producer's wife, British fashion designer Georgina Chapman, announced she was divorcing him, and leading US politicians whom he had funded and supported have denounced him.

The hashtag "me too" has been shared on social media by women and men who have been sexually harassed and are now revealing their experiences.

The UK has been struggling to deal with a series of sexual abuse scandals that have raised doubts about how institutions, including the church, sports teams and the news media respond to those who are vulnerable to abuse.

A vast inquiry has been opened into child sexual abuse at a string of British institutions from parliament to the BBC, children's homes to churches.

The number of abuse allegations being made in the UK has spiked since one of the BBC's top presenters, Jimmy Savile, was exposed as a serial paedophile after his death in 2011.