The #MeToo Movement: One Year Later
The #MeToo movement that went viral last fall following the Harvey Weinstein scandal started as a way to elevate awareness around sexual harassment and assault, especially in the workplace. However, with the recent sexual assault allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, the movement is experiencing a resurgence, just in time for the one-year anniversary of its initial surge. According to a new Ipsos/Buzzfeed News poll, not only are most Americans familiar (71%) with the #MeToo movement, many also say that it has changed how sexual harassment is handled in their workplace (38%). The movement has evidently changed the way many women understand sexual harassment/assault, as 24% say it has made them realize that they may have been a victim. Only 12% of men say the same. About four in ten Americans believe the movement has both changed how their male coworkers think about sexual harassment (42%) and how women are treated in their workplace (38%).
Accusations of prominent people have largely shaped perceptions of the #MeToo movement. Most Americans (56%) believe that the whole movement is discredited when leading voices of the movement are accused themselves, though a larger portion of men (62%) than women (50%) agree. Men are also more inclined than women to believe that some have been unfairly accused during the movement (59% vs. 51% of women) and that the prominent people accused of sexual harassment/assault have been adequately punished (26% vs. 19% of women). These opinions also differ across political parties, as more Republicans (69%) than Democrats (47%) agree that some people have been unfairly accused. Republicans (51%) are also more likely than Democrats (23%) to believe that the movement has lost sight of its original goals. A plurality of Americans in both parties agree, however, that the movement has only changed things for famous people (40% vs. 38% of Democrats).
Opinions about recent sexual misconduct allegations against Brett Kavanaugh also highlight certain gender and party disparities. In a split-sample exercise, half of the respondents were asked whether Kavanaugh should be confirmed as the next Supreme Court justice in light of recent allegations of sexual misconduct. Almost half (47%) say he should not be confirmed while a quarter say he should. Republicans and Democrats are very split on this issue, with a lot more Republicans believing he should be confirmed (49% vs. 10% of Democrats). Women are also much less inclined to support Kavanaugh’s confirmation (17% vs. 32% of men). The poll then asks the same question to the other half-sample, this time disclosing that the alleged sexual assault occurred more than 35 years ago, when Kavanaugh was 17. Among those that heard this version of the question, the number of Americans who support his confirmation is 10-percentage points higher (35%), while the number of those who oppose his confirmation is 10-percentage points lower (37%). Furthermore, when asked whether they would vote for a political candidate accused of sexual harassment/assault, the majority (57%) of Democrats say no, while the majority of Republicans say it would depend on the specific allegations (62%).
