Study cited in NBC News opinion piece on Netflix series, sexual harassment

A 2012 study conducted by sociologists at the University of Maine and University of Minnesota was cited in the NBC News THINK opinion piece, “Netflix’s Margaret Atwood ‘Alias Grace’ series captures the Weinstein moment.” The series, based on Margaret Atwood’s 1996 novel about an Irish-Canadian immigrant maid convicted of the murder of her employer and his lover, is a story of what can happen to a female in the workplace where men wield the power, the article states. The study found women who obtain power in the workplace, particularly in male-dominated environments, appear to be even more likely to be harassed, according to the article. Researchers theorized that perpetrators were motivated less by sexual desire than an urge to exert control and domination over these women who were viewed as a threat to male privilege, NBC reported.