Estimated reading time: 14 minutes

Key Takeaways

• The central question—what is the estimated difference between Americans that experience some form of sexual harassment and those that tell someone—depends on how “tell someone” is defined (friend, supervisor/HR, or a government agency). The gap ranges from roughly 30–60 percentage points for internal reporting to 80–99+ percentage points for formal charges.

• National surveys show high prevalence: lifetime exposure estimates include 81% of women and 43% of men, with large year-over-year rates continuing since #MeToo. That scale makes the low rate of disclosure even more striking.

• Multiple sources indicate most people never report to authorities or their employer. One compilation estimates 99.8% of harassed workers do not file charges, and other summaries indicate a majority of incidents go unreported through internal channels.

• Some training materials peg the gap at about 15 percentage points, but broader research suggests the real difference is typically much larger when looking at HR reporting or government filings.

• Women are disproportionately impacted. They file the vast majority of formal sexual harassment charges, and economic and career risks—like retaliation and financial stress—help explain why many do not report.

• The reporting gap has legal and workplace implications: employers must ensure safe, effective reporting systems, and workers weighing whether to disclose should understand legal definitions, deadlines, and documentation strategies.

Table of Contents

• Introduction

• The Short Answer: Estimating the Reporting Gap

• What Counts as “Telling Someone”

• What the Data Says About Prevalence

• What We Know About Reporting Behavior

• Why Survivors Don’t Report

• Gender Patterns and Power Dynamics

• The Legal Landscape: Harassment vs. Assault

• Workplace Implications and Risk Management Trends

• Practical Steps if You’re Deciding to Tell

• Workers’ Compensation and Psychological Injury

• Methodology Notes and Limitations

• Conclusion

• FAQ

Introduction

If you’re asking what is the estimated difference between Americans that experience some form of sexual harassment and those that tell someone, you’re trying to make sense of a stubborn reporting gap that affects real people, jobs, and safety. The answer matters because it shows how much harm remains invisible—and why internal complaint systems, legal options, and cultural change are all critical.

In plain English: far more people experience harassment than speak up. But the size of that difference changes depending on what “tell someone” means: telling a friend, telling a manager or HR, or filing a formal charge with a government agency. Below, we translate the research into clear estimates and explain what these numbers mean for workers and employers.

The Short Answer: Estimating the Reporting Gap

There isn’t a single universal percentage, because “tell someone” varies from a private disclosure to a formal legal complaint. Still, you can use credible national data to frame realistic ranges:

• If “tell someone” means informing HR or a supervisor, multiple summaries indicate a majority of incidents never reach an employer’s system; some roundups estimate around 60% go unreported. Using that lens, the difference between those who experience harassment and those who tell an employer often falls around 30–60 percentage points.

• If “tell someone” means filing a formal legal charge, the gap is dramatically larger. One widely cited compilation estimates that 99.8% of harassed workers do not file charges, implying an 80–99+ percentage-point difference between those who experience harassment and those who formally report to a government agency.

• Some trainings and quizzes present a smaller figure. For example, a study guide question cites an estimated 15 percentage-point difference in certain survey contexts, but that narrower gap is not representative of what broader data show about HR reporting or formal government complaints.

Taken together, the best national reading is that the difference is substantial: big for internal reporting and enormous for formal charging.

What Counts as “Telling Someone”

“Telling someone” can mean several different things, and each choice significantly changes the measured gap:

• Informal disclosure: confiding in a partner, friend, family member, or coworker.

• Internal workplace report: telling a supervisor, HR, or using a company hotline. This is where many survivors hesitate because of retaliation risks, career damage, or distrust in the process.

• External or legal report: filing with a government agency like the EEOC or a state civil rights agency, or calling law enforcement. This is the rarest channel and is most affected by fear, time limits, and documentation demands.

Understanding these categories matters. If you’re weighing options after an incident, learning the legal definition of harassment and the difference between internal and external processes can help you choose a path that protects your safety and future. For a plain-English walk-through of workplace definitions, protected categories, and legal options, see our accessible guide on workplace sexual harassment.

What the Data Says About Prevalence

Large-scale research consistently shows that harassment and sexual violence are common—across lifetimes and even within a single year. National snapshots include:

• Multiple organizations report lifetime exposure at very high levels, including estimates that 81% of U.S. women and 43% of men have experienced some form of sexual harassment and/or assault. These figures are reflected in summaries by the National Sexual Violence Resource Center and the advocacy network RAINN, and also appear in data compilations that capture the scale of the problem.

• Workplace-specific surveys indicate broad exposure as well. A compiled statistic cited by Case IQ, drawing on Zippia’s analysis, estimates 54% of women have experienced some form of workplace sexual harassment.

• The problem is not only historical. The #MeToo 2024 data from Tulane’s Newcomb Institute estimates that roughly 1 in 4 U.S. adults (26%) experienced sexual harassment or assault in the past year, a finding also summarized by Tulane University’s news release on sustained post-#MeToo rates.

These prevalence numbers set the baseline. The “difference” we’re analyzing is how far disclosure lags behind exposure. When prevalence is high, even a modest dip in reporting produces millions of silent cases.

What We Know About Reporting Behavior

Here’s what credible sources say about the act of “telling someone,” from internal reports to formal legal claims:

• Most incidents never become formal charges. A widely cited safety and compliance compilation notes that 99.8% of harassed workers don’t file charges. That statistic, even if rounded, shows how sharply formal reporting diverges from actual experience.

• Internal reporting also appears to fall far short of incidence. A legal firm’s summary of national findings reports multiple underreporting indicators, including that a majority of incidents are never reported; its overview also catalogs specific gendered exposure rates in the general population (e.g., a notable percentage of women report harassment and assault, with lower but real rates for men). See the compiled U.S. sexual harassment statistics page for representative figures and underreporting patterns.

• Formal EEOC data illustrate who ultimately files charges and in what numbers. The EEOC’s analysis of recent years shows that women filed 78.2% of the 27,291 sexual harassment charges received between FY 2018 and FY 2021. Compared to the tens of millions who experience harassment in a year, this charge count underscores how rare formal reporting is.

• Some training materials cite a much smaller gap. For instance, a study aid question frames the difference as about 15 percentage points between those who experience harassment and those who tell someone. That narrower estimate may reflect specific survey wording or a limited form of disclosure, but it does not align with large-scale evidence on internal reporting or government filings.

If you are considering a formal complaint with a government agency, it helps to know procedural basics and deadlines. Our practical explainer on filing an EEOC complaint breaks down eligibility, timing, and documentation.

Why Survivors Don’t Report

Silence isn’t indifference; it’s often risk management. People weigh whether disclosure will make things worse or better, and the stakes are real.

• Economic pressure matters. Research summarized by the Center for American Progress reports that women who experience workplace sexual harassment may be more likely to face financial stress and career harm, which can discourage reporting when a paycheck, promotion, or reference is on the line.

• Fear of retaliation is common. Workers worry about being blamed, disbelieved, or labeled “difficult.” These fears intensify when the harasser holds power over schedules, raises, or job security.

• Confusion about definitions is widespread. Some employees think they must prove discrimination to report harassment, or vice versa, even though these are distinct legal concepts. A clear primer—like this comparison of sexual discrimination versus sexual harassment—can help people understand where their experience fits and what conduct is legally actionable.

• Trauma and safety concerns slow disclosure. Survivors may need time to process, gather evidence, or seek medical or counseling support before reporting.

These realities explain a lot of the reporting gap. They also point to solutions: safer channels, anti-retaliation enforcement, better training, and trauma-informed HR practices.

Gender Patterns and Power Dynamics

Women experience a disproportionate share of harassment and bear much of the career risk for speaking up. The EEOC’s recent analysis shows women filed over three-quarters of sexual harassment charges, consistent with population-level exposure data and many industry-specific surveys.

That imbalance is not just about individual behavior; it reflects unequal power, job segregation, and workplace cultures that normalize “jokes” or touching in some roles or settings. Even when policies exist, if enforcement depends on a chain of command controlled by those who minimize or excuse misconduct, reporting can feel unsafe. Definitions matter here: recognizing when persistent comments, images, or touching create a hostile environment is essential to understanding your rights. If you are unsure what meets the legal threshold, our guide explaining what counts as a hostile work environment offers concrete examples and guardrails.

The Legal Landscape: Harassment vs. Assault

“Harassment” and “assault” overlap in impact but follow very different legal tracks. Harassment is generally a civil-rights issue governed by employment laws, whereas sexual assault involves criminal statutes and policing.

• In the civil-rights context, harassment includes unwanted sexual advances, comments, images, or physical conduct that create a hostile environment or condition employment. Understanding the civil definitions—distinct from discrimination claims—helps survivors and witnesses identify the right reporting channel. See a clear overview of harassment versus sex discrimination.

• In the criminal context, sexual abuse cases are charged and sentenced under criminal law. The U.S. Sentencing Commission’s data show that 1,430 sexual abuse cases were reported in 2024, with a notable increase since 2020 and very long average sentences—underscoring the gravity of criminal conduct, which is a small but severe subset of overall harassment and violence.

• At the population level, sexual violence remains common. The National Sexual Violence Resource Center summarizes data showing that about one in five U.S. women has experienced completed or attempted rape in her lifetime. While rape prevalence is not the same as workplace harassment, this statistic highlights the broader context of sexual harm that influences whether people disclose.

If you’re weighing civil options at work, our step-by-step guide on how to sue for sexual harassment explains internal reporting, EEOC filings, deadlines, and when litigation may be necessary.

Workplace Implications and Risk Management Trends

For employers, the gap between experience and disclosure is both a legal risk and a moral failing. High prevalence plus low reporting means many injuries and liabilities are hidden until a crisis erupts.

• Training and policy alone are not enough. Workers need safe, confidential channels and assurance that speaking up will not derail their careers. Anonymous options and ombud programs can increase disclosure if tied to real accountability.

• Data transparency matters. If incident data comes only from formal complaints, leaders will underestimate the problem. Climate surveys and exit interviews can help reveal patterns.

• Alignment with legal standards is essential. Employers should ensure workers know how to report and what conduct violates the law, including third-party harassment and hostile environment claims. For a practical legal primer, see our guide to reporting a hostile work environment.

The bottom line: the “difference” between experience and reporting is a measure of organizational safety. Narrowing that gap is a strategic priority for every employer that wants to comply with the law and retain talent.

Practical Steps if You’re Deciding to Tell

Choosing whether to disclose is personal. If you’re considering it, a few practical steps can protect you while you decide:

• Document what happened as soon as you can: dates, times, locations, what was said or done, and who saw it.

• Save evidence: texts, emails, messages, photos, or screenshots. Back up from personal devices if possible.

• Review your company’s policy and reporting channels. Decide whether to use anonymous options or a trusted manager outside your chain of command.

• Understand legal deadlines. Federal and state time limits can be short. Our myth-busting guides clarify real filing windows beyond common misconceptions about “two years,” including federal 180/300-day rules and state differences like Connecticut’s 300-day CHRO deadline.

• If you plan to escalate, learn the steps for filing with the EEOC, how mediation works, and what evidence helps.

If you want a deeper walk-through—from preserving proof to understanding retaliation protections—our detailed explainer on reporting sexual harassment and protecting your rights is a good starting point.

Workers’ Compensation and Psychological Injury

Harassment is an employment-law issue first, but severe psychological injuries from sustained harassment can also intersect with workers’ compensation. The details vary by state, but a few trends apply:

• Some states recognize mental-mental injuries (psychological harm without a physical injury) arising from work. Others require a physical component or a specific traumatic event.

• Documentation from therapy, medical providers, and workplace records becomes crucial. Timely notice requirements in workers’ compensation systems can be strict, and delays may jeopardize benefits.

• Where harassment includes assault at work, medical treatment and wage-loss benefits may be available under workers’ comp while you also pursue civil-rights remedies against the employer.

If harassment has led to a work-related injury or medical leave, our overview on how workers’ compensation claims work and our deep-dive into common pitfalls in workers’ comp data and claims can help you understand deadlines, evidence, and appeal paths. For harassment that spills into app-based interactions or after-hours communications, see how digital evidence fits into our guide to “Tinder” sexual harassment and workplace rights.

Methodology Notes and Limitations

Why do estimates vary so much? Three main reasons:

• Definitions differ. Some surveys ask about “harassment or assault,” some focus on “workplace sexual harassment,” and others measure only specific behaviors. The broader the definition, the higher the measured prevalence.

• Disclosure is a spectrum. Confiding in a friend is not the same as reporting to HR, which is not the same as filing a legal charge. Each step filters out many survivors, which is why the formal charge gap is so large.

• Time frames matter. Lifetime estimates capture everything that has ever happened; one-year measures show current risk; workplace-only measures exclude public and private spaces outside work.

Here’s how key sources fit together:

• Lifetime exposure: Multiple summaries place women’s lifetime exposure at 81% and men’s at 43% for harassment and/or assault, reflected in the NSVRC’s overview and RAINN’s fact page, and echoed by consolidated statistics that often include the same research lineage.

• Workplace exposure: A workplace-focused compilation estimates 54% of women have experienced harassment in the workplace, aligning with high but more specific estimates for employment settings.

• Current (past-year) exposure: Tulane’s #MeToo 2024 research pegs annual exposure at about 26% of U.S. adults, a finding also highlighted in Tulane’s release.

• Underreporting: Compilations frequently note that a majority of incidents are never reported internally, and that almost none are escalated to legal charges—see the 99.8% no-charge figure and the broader underreporting summaries, which align with the small number of actual EEOC charges relative to national exposure.

• Formal charges: When cases do become official, women file the vast majority of charges, per the EEOC’s recent reporting of 2018–2021 national charge data.

• Training gap estimate: Some course materials suggest a 15 percentage-point difference between those who experience harassment and those who tell someone in specific survey contexts; this is best read as a limited-case estimate rather than a national benchmark for HR or legal reporting.

Beyond harassment metrics, it’s also useful to remember the broader scope of sexual violence and criminal enforcement. The NSVRC’s statistics on rape prevalence and the U.S. Sentencing Commission’s sexual abuse data reflect a small but serious part of the spectrum that may intersect with workplace incidents.

Conclusion

So what is the estimated difference between Americans that experience some form of sexual harassment and those that tell someone? The most practical answer is a range: expect a gap of roughly 30–60 percentage points for internal reporting to HR or supervisors, and an 80–99+ percentage-point gap for formal legal charges, depending on the population and time frame studied. Some training materials cite a smaller 15-point gap, but broader datasets suggest the real-world difference is usually much larger—especially when “telling” means seeking an official remedy.

Behind these numbers are people making hard choices in difficult situations. If you are weighing a disclosure, learn the definitions that apply to your experience, gather and preserve evidence, and understand deadlines. If you’re an employer, build trust by making it safe to come forward and by responding quickly and fairly. Shrinking the gap is not just a compliance goal; it is how workplaces become safer and more just.

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FAQ

How big is the gap between experiencing harassment and telling someone?

It depends on what “tell someone” means. Using national data, a reasonable estimate is a 30–60 percentage-point gap for internal reporting (to HR or a supervisor), and an 80–99+ percentage-point gap for formal legal charges with an agency. Some course materials cite about 15 percentage points in specific survey contexts, but that smaller number is not representative of HR or legal reporting at the national level. For context on prevalence and reporting, see the #MeToo 2024 annual exposure estimate, the no-charge statistic, and EEOC charge data.

Does telling a friend count the same as reporting to HR?

No. Informal disclosure (telling a friend or partner) is different from an internal workplace report or a formal charge. Each step has different goals, protections, and consequences. If you need a workplace response or legal remedy, consider an internal report, a government filing, or both. Our practical guide to reporting a hostile work environment breaks down options and safety tips.

Are women more likely to experience and report sexual harassment?

Yes, women are disproportionately affected and also file the majority of formal charges. The EEOC reports that women filed 78.2% of sexual harassment charges from FY 2018–2021. Population-level data also show higher exposure for women, including lifetime estimates of 81% experiencing harassment and/or assault.

What if HR does nothing or retaliates?

Retaliation for reporting is illegal. Preserve evidence, escalate internally if safe, and consider filing with an agency. To understand the process, see our guides on filing an EEOC complaint and suing for sexual harassment. For clarity on legal standards, read what constitutes a hostile work environment and how to document it.

Can harassment-related stress qualify for workers’ comp?

Sometimes. It depends on your state’s rules and whether the psychological injury is considered work-related under that system. Documentation and timelines are critical. Our overviews on workers’ compensation claims and claims data pitfalls and appeals explain how to protect your benefits while you address the underlying harassment through employment-law channels.