The #MeToo movement sparked a national conversation on the issue of sexual harassment in the workplace. Many people felt that men and women were finally united in the fight to stop sexual harassment at work. But unfortunately, the results of a new poll show that men’s views on sexual harassment have changed drastically since the launch of this movement.
How Men View the Sexual Harassment Problem
Gallup surveyed men and women at the height of the #MeToo movement in 2017 and again in February of this year to determine how they felt about sexual harassment in the workplace. According to the results, women’s views on the matter have not changed much since the launch of the #MeToo movement. Seventy-three percent of women said that sexual harassment was a major problem in 2017, and 70% of women still held this view in 2019.
There has been a significant change in how men view sexual harassment, though. In 2017, two-thirds of men agreed that sexual harassment was a major problem. But in 2019, this number has dropped down to 53%. Furthermore, about 45% of men believe that people are too sensitive when it comes to sexual harassment in the workplace, whereas only 33% of men held this view in 2017.
These results indicate that men are not as committed to helping victims in the fight against sexual harassment as they were in 2017. This could be because so much time has passed since the issue first came to light, causing men to lose interest in it. Gallup also suggests that men could be changing their views because they feel the need to defend themselves. In the #MeToo era, some men feel that anyone could be falsely accused of sexual harassment, which is why they do not believe it is a major problem.
Fortunately, the percentage of men who believe sexual harassment is serious has increased significantly since 1998, when only 45% of men believed this was a major problem. This shows that some progress in changing men’s minds has been made over the last several decades.
The results of this poll make it clear that there is still a lot of work to be done when it comes to putting an end to sexual harassment in the workplace. For real change to occur, both men and women need to recognize the severity of the problem.
Have you been sexually harassed at work? If so, seek legal representation from the experienced employment law attorneys at Armstrong & Vaught, P.L.C. Let us hold your employer accountable for violating your workplace rights. Call us at (918) 582-2500 or toll-free at (800) 722-8880 or complete the simple form below for a free consultation with a skilled attorney.