More Google searches for sexual harassment facts since #MeToo

FILE PHOTO: A vendor sells #MeToo badges a protest march for survivors of sexual assault and their supporters in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California U.S. November 12, 2017. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson

Millions of Americans have searched Google for information on how to understand, prevent and report sexual harassment and assault since the start of the #MeToo movement more than a year ago, a US study suggests. 

In October 2017, following public accusations of sexual harassment and assault against film producer Harvey Weinstein, actress Alyssa Milano encouraged victims to bring the taboo topic out of the shadows by sharing their own stories on social media. The resulting #MeToo movement resulted in widespread sharing on social media, and the new study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, offers fresh evidence that the movement has contributed to a shift in public thinking about these issues, said senior author John Ayers of the University of California, San Diego.