PRINCETON, N.J., Oct. 17 (UPI) — More than one-third of U.S. women say they are worried about being sexually assaulted, a poll released by Gallup Monday indicates.
In Gallup’s annual Crime Poll, 34 percent of women said they were “frequently” or “occasionally” worried about a sexual assault. Among men, it was 5 percent.
Overall, 7 percent of Americans are frequently worried about a sexual attack.
The survey was conducted Oct. 5-9, including two days before and three days after the release of audiotapes on Oct. 7 of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump making references to kissing and touching women without their consent in 2005.
The percentage of those worried was up from 2013-15 levels (30 percent average) in Oct. 5-6 polling and was no higher in Oct. 7-9 polling, after the tapes were unsurfaced.
After the study, several women came forward accusing Trump of making sexual advances on them without their consent. Trump has denied those accusations.
According to Gallup, other top crime concerns rank higher than sexual assault, including theft of credit card information, identity theft, burglary and car theft.
The survey also asked Americans whether they have been the victims of specific types of crimes, including sexual assault. Among all adults, it was 0.6 percent compared with 0.9 for women and 0.3 for men.
Results for this Gallup poll are based on telephone interviews with a random sample of 1,017 adults, aged 18 and older, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. It had a margin of error of 4 percentage points.
