Three of four Americans say sexual misconduct must stop: poll

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- Three in four Americans, men and women, Republicans and Democrats, agree that sexual harassment on the job is a big problem in the United States and it's time for it to stop, a new poll finds Wednesday.

Overall, 74 percent said they would be less likely to vote for a candidate if he faced credible allegations of sexual misconduct, according to the latest USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll.

Nearly nine in 10 said the names of members of Congress who have reached settlements with staffers who complained of abusive treatment should be made public. Under the current system, many of those settlements have been made in secret.

Meanwhile, an overwhelming 84 percent said that members of Congress should be barred from using public funds to pay the settlements.

In comparison, fewer than one in five said too much was being made of a furor that has rattled Hollywood, politics, the news media and more.

The survey also showed signs of potential complications and conflicts ahead. Six in 10 said they were inclined to believe the female accusers, not the men accused; just 5 percent were inclined to believe the men. One in three women and one in four men said they weren't sure whom to believe.

And there was no full consensus about whether the new public focus and the #MeToo movement represented a watershed moment. Women by double-digits predicted that changes in attitudes and policy would last, but men split evenly over whether, when the spotlight fades, anything would really be different, according to the poll.

The poll surveyed 1,000 registered U.S. voters nationwide between Dec. 5 and 9. It has a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points. Enditem