#HimToo is a hashtag started as a reaction to #MeToo, put forth by those who believe that false accusations of rape and sexual assault against men are common and happen way too often. Hopefully, we’re all familiar with the #MeToo movement which sprang up in the wake of allegations by women of sexual harassment and sexual assault by some very prominent men, especially in the film and music industries.
According to a recent study by Statistics Canada, following the widespread #MeToo social media movement in October 2017, police-reported sexual assaults in Canada increased sharply. There were 25% more victims of police-reported sexual assault in the three months after #MeToo first went viral (October to December 2017) compared with an average three-month period leading up to #MeToo (January 2016 to September 2017). The findings also found that four in five (80%) victims of police-reported sexual assaults in 2016 and 2017 knew the person accused of victimizing them. As has been the case historically, about 9 in 10 victims of police-reported sexual assaults were female, both pre- and post-#MeToo.
The statistics appear to confirm that #MeToo has had a positive impact in encouraging women to come forward with cases of sexual assault and harassment. Like any other social movement, there are always those that will argue that the movement has gone too far. However, I would argue that the impact of #MeToo needs to go as far as needed. Until we start witnessing a major reduction in these statistics, more needs to be done. We have in place policies and processes that provide fair and impartial treatment of the accused, hopefully avoiding any potential for malicious intent on the part of accusers. One can only hope that #HimToo and other regressive movements don’t undercut the positive accomplishments of “#MeToo.
As Jon Hyman noted in Workforce Management (October 10, 2018): “#MeToo has done an amazing job of creating an atmosphere of understanding for complaints of harassment and other sexual misconduct. Let’s not undermine all the good it has done with knee-jerk reactions in the other direction.” Instead, it’s time for men to increase support for their spouses, sisters, daughters and mothers in their struggle against harassment of any kind, no matter where it takes place.
FROLITICKS 
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