The #MeToo-movement publicly confronts alleged perpetrators of sexual misconduct with their transgressions. In return, the accused often struggle with the question of how to reply. What can research about trust and forgiveness teach us about the do’s and don’ts of their responses? The rise of social media has provided victims with new avenues for denouncing misconduct. Arguably the most remarkable example of this is the #MeToo-movement, in which (alleged) victims of sexual misconduct publically accuse the (often wealthy, powerful, and/or famous) perpetrator via social media. Contrary to a...

Most people would probably agree that “women can’t drive” is a sexist statement. But what about saying that “women are nurturing”? Isn’t that just a nice compliment? At first glance, these kinds of gender stereotypes often appear relatively harmless. In reality, they are anything but: seemingly positive gender stereotypes play a crucial role in reinforcing traditional gender roles and maintaining status inequalities between men and women. Sexism, #Meetoo and the backlash The recent #metoo movement against sexual abuse and harassment was very successful in bringing to light the scale of the...