Survey: Most find cheating to be morally wrong

Infidelity, while more common than one might think, is frequently looked down upon as a society. Some have been in the situation where they were the ones to cheat on a husband or wife, while others have been the ones that were cheated on. In many cases, infidelity leads to divorce.

A recent Gallup poll released the findings from the annual Values and Beliefs survey. The survey found that an overwhelming majority of respondents found cheating to be morally unacceptable. In fact, 91 percent of those questioned said cheating was morally wrong.

In looking at this high percentage, it is important to note that cheating ranked higher in terms of being morally wrong than polygamy, which 83 percent said was wrong, and human cloning, which again 83 percent said was wrong.

But just what constitutes as cheating? This is where the line can become quite fuzzy.

The Huffington Post recently partnered with YouGov to conduct a study looking at attitudes toward what counts as cheating. The survey polled 1,000 adults. The results really ranged, including:

• Among women, 56 percent thought a kiss on the lips counted as cheating. Only 40 percent of men felt the same way.
• Of those women polled, 85 percent considered sending a text or photo that is sexual in nature to be cheating. Of men questioned, 74 percent also felt this type of behavior would be cheating.
• In terms of creating a deep emotional connection with someone other than a partner, 70 percent of women considered this to be cheating, while 50 percent of men also considered it to be cheating.

In general, what this goes to show is that while most look at cheating as morally wrong, the definition of what constitutes cheating ranges wildly.

From a family law perspective, if infidelity is suspected, it will most likely come up in the courtroom. In some cases, a hurt spouse will even try to use examples of infidelity as a way to paint the other parent in a negative light, which is why no parent should attempt to fight for child custody alone. Rather, an attorney with experience handling these types of cases should be contacted right away.

Source: Huffington Post, “Gallup Poll Reveals Americans’ Feelings On Infidelity, Divorce,” May 29, 2013