Self-Report of Sexual Harassment and Assault Differ Based on Political Ideologies Among U.S. Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study

This study seeks to provide current evidence on the role of political ideology on shaping retrospective reporting of sexual violence (SV) in the United States. We used cross-sectional, nationally representative data from the online 2024 #MeToo Survey among U.S. adults (N = 3,350). We found that liberal women were more likely and conservative women and gender diverse adults were less likely to report lifetime SV, relative to moderates. Effects for past 12 months SV were not observed. This nationally representative evidence suggests that lifetime SV experiences and reporting may differ based on political ideology among U.S. women and gender diverse adults.