The prevalence of workplace sexual harassment was higher amongst certain groups of people than in the sample as a whole: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people with disability, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and people with intersex characteristics, all indicated experiencing higher rates of workplace sexual harassment in the last five years than the average rate of 33%.9 The 2018 National Survey found that the prevalence rate for people of culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds was similar to the average rate of 33%.10 However, other studies have found that women of CALD backgrounds reported experiencing higher rates sexual harassment at work.11 Issues relating to the accessibility and methodology of the 2018 National Survey which may have affected responses of people of CALD backgrounds are discussed below. The 2018 National Survey also found that: • Workers aged 18–29 years experienced a higher rate of sexual harassment than workers in other age groups (of people in this age group who had been in the workforce in the last five years, 45% said they had been sexually harassed in that period).12 Women in this age group experienced workplace sexual harassment at a higher rate (53%) than men (36%).13 • Older workers (aged over 65 years) had the lowest prevalence rate (of people in this age group who had been in the workforce in the last five years, 16% said they had been sexually harassed in that period).14 Women in this age group experienced workplace sexual harassment at a higher rate (20%) than men (13%).15 These findings and the drivers of workplace sexual harassment for particular groups of workers are considered in more detail in Section 3.5. (ii) Higher rates of prevalence in 2018 National Survey The prevalence rates of workplace sexual harassment recorded in the 2018 National Survey were higher than prevalence rates recorded in previous surveys. In the 2018 National Survey, based on questions about specific behaviours that would likely constitute sexual harassment, one in three people said they were sexually harassed at work in the last five years (33%). Prevalence rates in previous national surveys were 11% in 2003, 4% in 2008 and 21% in 2012.16 Although methodological differences between these surveys mean a direct comparison across years cannot be made, it is clear that there was a marked increase in prevalence in 2018.17 Respect@Work: National Inquiry into Sexual Harassment in Australian Workplaces • 2020 • 97