Most Flight Attendants Endure Harassment, From Groping to Slaps
- Such abuse undermines authority in emergencies, study says
- Union calls on airline industry to combat abusive behavior
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More than two-thirds of flight attendants in the U.S. report experiencing verbal or physical sexual harassment during their careers, according to a study released Thursday by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA.
About 35 percent of flight attendants taking part in the survey said they experienced verbal sexual harassment, including lewd, suggestive and inappropriate comments, in the past year alone. Eighteen percent were physically harassed during the same period, reporting that they were “touched, felt, pulled, grabbed, groped, slapped, rubbed and fondled,” on top of and under their uniforms, AFA said.