A hugely concerning new study has found that almost 70% of women attending music festivals are worried about sexual harassment.

New research conducted by Durham University revealed that 69% of women fear harassment and a worrying 69% of women fear sexual assault. On top of that, the research found that in excess of 30% of women claimed that they had been sexually harassed at a music festival themselves.

Furthermore, 10% of the women asked for the study said that they had already been sexually assaulted at UK music festivals. “These figures are shocking but not surprising as this is just more evidence that women fear for their safety at live music festivals,” Mel Kelly of ‘Safe Gigs for Women’ said in a new statement regarding the study.

“This fits anecdotally with what we hear every day. Hopefully, organisers hear this and respond appropriately,” she added.

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The sociology department of Durham University also explained how their research found that around 5% of men had experienced sexual harassment while attending music festivals in the UK.

Despite that, the research did uncover that around 53-56% of those men involved in the study did confess to feeling worried and concerned about potential sexual harassment and assault.

“Consent is essential, whether it be between a man and a women, same sex people, non binary, trans or gender fluid,” ‘Safe Gigs for Women’ said on social media.

“Groping someone of the same sex is just as awful as if it was someone of the opposite sex.”