According to the study's figures, provided by The Guardian newspaper, 41 percent of 1,839 current and former UK students have faced unwelcome sexual advances and innuendo from university staff.
The newspaper also said that 12 percent of the 1,535 current students surveyed had been touched by a member of staff in a way that made them feel uncomfortable. Usually, women were twice as likely to experience unwelcome sexual behavior than men, and in the majority of cases (over 60 percent), the perpetrator was a man, according to The Guardian.
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The newspaper added that 35 current and 30 former students had reported non-consensual sexual contact from a staff member, while nine current and six former students said they had been sexually assaulted or raped.
The Guardian said that the research designated the UK education sector an unsafe environment, where a wide range of students experiences "sexualized touching, comments or even threats from staff members." Meanwhile, half of the students who fell victim to inappropriate sexual advances said their university had not provided an adequate response, the newspaper stated.
