6 in 10 US music fans say they have been sexually harassed/assaulted at a live gig

Six out of 10 music fans say they have been sexually harassed or assaulted at a live gig in the US, suggest the results of a survey, published online in the journal Injury Prevention.

Women are more than twice as likely as men to have been affected, the responses indicate, but various barriers prevented most respondents from reporting the incident at the time.

Data from Australia, the UK, Sweden, Finland and Nigeria indicate that inappropriate sexual behavior is prevalent at live music events. But few studies have focused on the US or included a broad range of venues, such as festivals and large arenas, theaters, and clubs, note the researchers.

To explore this further, adults were invited to participate in GrooveSafe’s Fan Experience Survey in 2024 if they had been to at least one live music gig in the previous year.

Respondents were asked how often they went to live music gigs, and which of seven types of inappropriate sexual behavior they had experienced while at the event, ranging from unwanted comments/jokes to non-consensual sex. They were also asked who they were with, and at what type of venue, when the incident occurred.

Respondents who reported experiencing at least one incident of inappropriate sexual behavior were also asked to indicate if they felt they could report their most recent experience to staff or security working at the music venue.

If they hadn’t felt able to report the incident, they were asked which barriers they had faced, including not knowing to whom to report it; feeling uncomfortable doing so because of being drunk or high; finding it hard to find help; assuming that they wouldn’t be believed; and the status or fame of the perpetrator.

In all, 1,091 people filled in the survey. Just over half (51%) were women and over two thirds (66%) were aged between 30 and 49 and said they went to live music events often or very often (67%).

Six out of 10 (61%) respondents said they had experienced inappropriate sexual behavior at a live music event at some point during their lifetime. A greater proportion of women (82%) than men (39%) said they had experienced sexual harassment and/or sexual assault, and 20% of the women indicated that it had happened often.

And significantly more women than men reported experiencing inappropriate sexual behavior in large arenas and when attending live music gigs with friends and significant others.

Most respondents (88%) didn’t report the incident to the music venue concerned. Among the 574 respondents who gave their reasons, around half (48%) didn’t feel they could report it and 42% felt they could, but chose not to.

The most common barrier to reporting the incident expressed by both one in four men and women was the feeling that nothing would be done about it anyway.

The researchers acknowledge various limitations to their findings. These include the possibility that those who had experienced sexual harassment/assault in the past would have been more likely to complete the survey.

And some types of inappropriate sexual behavior weren’t offered as options in the questionnaire: upskirting, inappropriate photography, and flashing, for example.

Limited surveillance and regulations and difficulties in obtaining assistance from venue staff facilitate inappropriate sexual behavior, say the researchers.

“The high prevalence of [inappropriate sexual behavior] incidents reported in this study is disturbing as [these] incidents can have both short and long-term consequences to health and quality of life and unfavorable social, cultural, and economic impacts,” they write.

And they conclude, “Music venues should develop or expand on existing [inappropriate sexual behavior] prevention, training, and response efforts. Future research might examine existing policies and procedures related to [its] prevention, communication, reporting and response.”