Harassment Reports Rise Sharply Among US Adults

A new study finds past-year sexual harassment reports more than doubled between 2018 and 2024.

Updated on Nov. 13, 2026 in Sex Life

Harassment Reports Rise Sharply Among US Adults

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Do you think sexual harassment is more common in everyday life than it was five years ago?

Researchers reported that past-year sexual harassment reports among US adults rose from 10.7% in 2018 to 24.3% in 2024. The study, published in the American Journal of Public Health, compared two #MeToo National Surveys on Sexual Harassment and Assault.

Why it matters

The findings suggest harassment experiences are increasing across both men and women, with the odds of reporting harassment in 2024 running 2.80 times those in 2018 after adjusting for sociodemographic factors. Researchers called for policies extending protections to public and online spaces and strengthening accountability.

The study compared two national surveys of 5,293 adults using self-reported experiences. The 2024 survey separated public and private online harassment, while the 2018 survey used a single item, so the comparison may not be fully direct.

The players

American Journal of Public Health

A peer-reviewed public health journal published by the American Public Health Association, which published the study online.

The details

The researchers compared data from the 2018 and 2024 #MeToo National Surveys on Sexual Harassment and Assault, assessing verbal harassment, cyber harassment, dating coercion, physically aggressive harassment, and sexual assault. The increase in odds was greater among respondents in the South than in other US regions, and the change over time did not differ significantly between women and men.

2017: The #MeToo movement gained global momentum.
2018: The first #MeToo National Survey on Sexual Harassment and Assault was conducted.
2024: Data for the second #MeToo National Survey was collected.
November 12, 2026: The study was published in the American Journal of Public Health.

Season Trajectory

The study measures the post-#MeToo trajectory against the 2018 baseline of the first #MeToo National Survey, showing reported harassment rising rather than falling in the years after the movement gained global momentum. The rise in reported odds was greater in the South, pointing to uneven regional change across the country.

Readers who work, study, or socialize in public, online, or dating settings may find the findings relevant to how harassment is recognized and reported. The study's call to extend protections to public and online spaces could shape future workplace, campus, and platform policies that affect everyday interactions.

The takeaway

Recognizing that reported harassment rose across both men and women suggests that prevention and reporting resources should cover public, private, and online spaces alike. Individuals who experience or witness harassment can review workplace and campus reporting channels to understand available options.